Eureka Seven A New Beginning
by Ltscw
Summary: What I believe will happen after they return home 1yr after the second summer of love. This is purely a fanfic story only and do not own or will ever own the rights to Eureka Seven, Bandai, or Bones Studios.
1. Going Home

-1Chapter 1- going home

It was one year after the 'Second summer of love'. Life on earth had finally gotten back to normal for most people, though there were others of who it affected differently. Holland, Talho, and the rest of the crew on the Gekko State were still doing what they always did best- fighting off rebels who still believed in the plans Dewey had made for the scab coral. Captain Jurgens and about half of the state army was fighting along side them while the rest unfortunately fought against them. Only there were two things that were different nowadays- for one, Holland and Talho had a new baby son now, which took the crew some getting used to since they've never had a baby on the ship before. The second thing was there were two family members of the Gekkostate that were missing from their lives that had never been found after the second summer of love- Renton and Eureka, which at times made the day to day operations a little depressing, especially for Holland. Talho would always find him beating himself up for losing them like he supposedly did, even though he didn't do anything to lose them. Late one evening while walking the ship on final security detail for the night, she found him sitting in the lower lounge area of the cockpit looking out into the night time sky. Slowly she sat next to him and asked "Are you still beating yourself up over them Holland? She asked.

"I shouldn't have let them go. I should have stopped them." He replied.

"But if you did stop them the world would have ended and you know it."

"I would have found another way. There should have been another way to do it."

"There wasn't dear." she replied as she held his hand with hers. "I would have done the same thing they did if I were them. It was the only way they could stop the whole thing. We'll keep looking for them, don't worry. But you have to remember that we have a son now that needs you. You can't be a dad if you spend all your time worrying about them."

"Yes I know." He replied "I try not to worry about them too much believe me." He then sighed a little and said "We're not giving up on them though, We can't. They sacrificed so much and yet lost everything they knew or loved. We have to find them and return their life to them, back to the way it was."

"And We will, Holland, don't worry." Talho replied. "Now lets get to bed and get some rest. Tomorrow is a whole new day. Maybe something will pop up and we'll finally find them."

"I hope so." He replied. "I'm starting to lose hope in finding those two."

"We can't do that now can we? They never lost faith in us and we can't in them." she replied as the walked towards their room.

"Yeah, true." said Holland. "I guess I'll never be able to lose that faith after all. Thanks, Talho."

"No problem my dear husband." said Talho as they walked into their room. "Now lets get some sleep and we'll continue tomorrow ok?"

"Alright. Goodnight dear."

"Goodnight Holland." she replied. As the two got into bed and drifted off into a deep sleep, little did they know, those two people who they loved dearly and had always been searching for would be returning home to them soon enough and in a bigger way than they had ever imagined.

At the same time that the crew was thinking about them and trying to locate them, the most amazing thing in the world was starting to happen. In the middle of a forest just on the outskirts of Bellforest, two lights were flashing in unison- one red and one blue. Those two light lights were signalizing the final awakening of Renton and Eureka after a year of being missing.

Renton was the first one to slowly start waking up after their year of slumber. As he started slowly opening his eyes he carefully focused them on his surroundings. As he slowly sat, up he started wondering to himself "What happened?" he asked himself as he slowly pushed himself up into more of an upright position. He then scratched his head and opened and rubbed his eyes to help them focus more clearly. As he looked around at the forest that surrounded him, he looked to his left and still curled up sleeping next to him was Eureka. A warm smile came to his face knowing that he had actually saved this girl from sacrificing herself to become a control cluster to save the world, the woman of his dreams who stole his heart. He now knew that this was the girl he was going to spend the rest of his life with, no matter what happened. Little did he know though, a whole year had passed since they were last seen alive together.

Slowly Renton stood up and started to walk around a bit so he could see if he recognized their surroundings. As he started to move and walk around, he immediately started to remember where they were. They were in the middle of the forest that sat outside a ways from Bellforest. He then determined that they were probably a day or two's walk from there, which excited him. "Hey we're close to home." he exclaimed to himself as he continued to walk around.

It was then at that time that Eureka finally started to stir around and wake up herself. As she woke up, Renton rushed over to her side to make sure she was ok. "Eureka, you alright?" Renton asked.

"Renton?" she replied as she started slowly opening her eyes. Carefully, she pushed herself up and into a sitting position while also steadying herself, since she felt a little weak at the moment. As she focused her eyes on her surroundings, Eureka saw the man who saved her from the coralian control cluster. "Renton? RENTON!!!" she yelled as she got up and ran to the one she loved.

"Hi Eureka." he said softly to her. They held each other close until she gently pushed him back slightly so she could look into the eyes of her Renton. A caring, warm smile came to her face as she said "You came for me! You saved me from the control cluster and brought me home Renton!!"

"Yeah I did." he said while looking down at her and her soft, lavender colored eyes. "I told you I wasn't going to leave your side Eureka. I promised you that I would always protect you and be with you always." A huge warm smile came across her face as she rushed up and slowly kissed the man she cared for so much. They held the position for a while until she slowly pushed back and said "Thank you Renton, for everything." As she looked at him, he gave her the warmest and most caring look that one person could ever give another. "Anything for the one I love." Renton replied softly. The reaction he gave her brought tears to her eyes as she realized that she was actually, truly loved by him.

As the two stood there holding each other, Eureka pushed back a little bit and gave Renton a puzzled, almost confused look. As Renton looked at her strangely, she finally asked "Hey, Renton, where are we?"

Renton got wide eyed and with a big smile on his face, he told her "Believe it or not, we are actually outside of Bellforest!!" Eureka's eyes got wide as well as her smile, for she knew they were close to his home. "The only two problems are that from what I can tell, we have about a day or two's walk from where we landed, and two, that we have no supplies or food, so we'll have to try to live off the land until we get home." She looked at him with a calm expression and said "That's ok, if I'm with you I can go anywhere, and besides I know what we can do for food, thanks to my SOF training."

He gave her a warm smile that slowly went to a serious look. "The only other thing is," Renton said with a calm but serious tone, while Eureka gave him a confused look and said "What?"

"Your wings Eureka." She looked behind herself and then gave Renton a worried look. Renton chuckled a bit and said "Don't worry, we'll figure out a way to disguise them. They're beautiful but I don't know how some people are towards coralians right now and I don't want to see you get hurt by anyone."

His care and concern for her made her face blush a little, but she knew that he was right. She also knew that no matter what happened, they would figure things out together.

"Well, lets get going!" said Renton. "When we get to Bellforest, we'll figure out a way to disguise ourselves, hopefully find grandpa, and then try to make contact with the Gekko-State."

Eureka, with a calm smile on her face, finally said "Let's go Renton, let's go home." and with a simple nod, the two took each others hands and started the long trek back to Bellforest. What the young couple didn't know was that they had the best surprise of their lives waiting for them when they finally arrived home.


	2. The reunion

-1Chapter 2- the reunion part 1

Axel Thurston was doing what he had been doing for the past countless years- working on LFO's. Except one thing was different now- he had three great grandchildren to watch over now. Holland and the Gekko state had dropped them off after the second summer of love so that they could find Eureka and Renton. They didn't want the kids on the ship in case anything dangerous happened since they didn't have their parents around and would hate to see them get harmed in any way.. Axel understood this but to say that he was surprised that Renton and Eureka adopted them would've been an understatement. He was downright shocked at the development. He was even more so when Holland gave him the new family register showing and naming Renton and Eureka as their parents.

The Thurston family had grown quiet unexpectedly and surprisingly for him, but in the end Axel was the proudest great grandfather their ever was. You could say he couldn't have been happier. Maurice, Maeter, and Linck were his world now and nothing was going to change that, for he promised Holland that he would watch over them until Renton and Eureka either returned or were found.

That morning the kids were sitting at the dining room table eating their breakfast when Axel said "You kids had better hurry up and finish or else you'll be late for school!"

"Ok grandpa we will!!" said the kids cheerfully. The enthusiasm of the kids put a smile on his face. But before Axel knew it, the kids had finished their breakfast and were heading out the door.

"Bye grandpa!!" yelled the kids as they hurried off. "Take care kids. Behave yourselves and I'll see you this afternoon!! Yelled Axel.

"Ok grandpa!!" yelled the kids. As Axel watched them walk away, he smiled to himself and quietly said "They become more like you everyday Renton." The thought almost brought a tear to his face until he snapped out of it and said "Well then I had better get to work myself. The bills don't pay themselves!!" and he headed on his way.

Axel usually never let the kids near the garage. He had told them that when they were a little bit older he would let them come to work with him sometimes and that they could come and go as they pleased. The kids didn't mind that rule at all though, for they usually had something to do anyways, which was always homework and then playing afterwards, so it worked out well for all of them. Axel would always quit working right before the kids got out of school so that he could be home when they got there, and when they got home they would always greet him with a big hug. Besides that, Axel didn't want them to see the project he was working on.

It was around dinner time and Axel was busy cooking up a storm in the kitchen. He enjoyed cooking for the children. It kept them happily fed and it always put a smile on his face.

" Hey grandpa look what I drew- a picture of us!!" Maeter said happily.

"Very nice Maeter!! Lets hang it on the fridge so that everyone can see it!! Said Axel.

"Ok!!" said Maeter cheerfully.

"Hey grandpa what's for dinner tonight? I'm hungry." said Maurice. "Me too!" yelled Linck.

"We're having meatloaf tonight. "It's in the oven and it should be ready shortly."

"Ok." said the kids simultaneously.

"And after dinner please make sure your homework is done and that your rooms are clean before you go to bed tonight." said Axel.

"We will." the kids replied.

A small confident smile came to Axels face, knowing how proud he was of those kids, especially after all that they had been through together. Still, a worried look came to his face somewhat and he quietly said to himself "Hurry back Renton and Eureka- your kids miss both of you deeply."

After a day and a half of walking through the forest, Renton and Eureka had finally made it to the outskirts of Bellforest. Eureka sat down next to a large tree to finally rest her feet after all the walking they had done.

"Eureka, wait here at the edge of the forest. I'm going to go into town to get the supplies we need to get us through the city safely."

"Ok Renton." Eureka said softly. "Hurry back."

"I will." he said and with a soft kiss to her cheek, he was off to get the things they needed. Eureka blushed slightly as she yelled "I love you Renton!!" "I love you too Eureka!!" yelled Renton as he ran towards his home town.

When Renton got into the city, he had to move around very carefully as not to be noticed. The first stop he made was at a small clothing store to get things to disguise themselves and get a few other personal things that they needed. While there he also got a small backpack for Eureka to hide her wings in so they wouldn't be noticed. The second stop that he made was to a small grocery store that he had never seen before. "Hmm, must be new." he said to himself. After getting them some things to eat since they hadn't eaten in a bit, Renton got a big, mischievous smile on his face and headed to a small Jewelry store that was right next door. It was there that he picked out a gorgeous yet elegant engagement ring for Eureka. But he wasn't going to give it to her just yet, because he wanted to wait for just the right moment before he gave it to her.

When Renton got back to the edge of the forest with the supplies, he noticed that Eureka had fallen asleep next to the large tree. He slowly walked up to her and gently shook her awake.

"I'm back" he said quietly, then giving her a soft kiss on her lips.

"I'm glad" she said softly with a warm smile on her face.

"I got all the supplies we need to make it through town safely. I also got some new clothes for us, since I figured we would need them." Eureka nodded gently and said "Will we be back home tomorrow then?"

"Yeah we will." he said gently. "Good." she replied quietly as he sat down next to her. Slowly she rested her head on his lap and fell into a deep sleep knowing that she was safe and secure by his side. Slowly Renton gently laid his hand on her shoulder, leaned his head back on the tree and finally, with a smile on his face, went into a deep sleep himself.

The next morning when Renton woke up it was near noon. The sun was shining brightly, the temperature was warm and there was a cool, comfortable breeze blowing. To say the least it was the perfect summer day. He looked down to see Eureka still sleeping soundly on his lap. Gently he brushed her face with his hand and said "Wake up Eureka, it's a beautiful day out today."

With a slight groan she woke up, gave Renton a gentle look and said "Good morning."

"Good morning Eureka." said Renton and gave Eureka a small gentle kiss on the lips. "How are you feeling today?"

" Just fine thank you." she said softly.

"Theirs some sandwiches in the bag for us to eat before we get going if you're hungry." said Renton. Eureka nodded gently and grabbed a couple of the sandwiches out of the bag for herself and a couple for Renton. After they were done eating, Renton said "The clothes for us are in that bag over there. Let's get changed into them before we go. You can change over there while I get changed over here."

"Ok" she replied.

After the two had got done changing and packed their things, Eureka, with the help of Renton, slipped on the backpack that he had gotten her. The night before he had cut slits into it so that her wings would fit comfortably. Once they were done, Renton asked "Are you ready?" Eureka nodded yes and the two of them set out on the final leg of their journey home.

It was dinner time once again at the Thurston residence and Axel and the kids were sitting at the table having pizza for supper. He had a long day at work and didn't feel like cooking supper that night, so he ordered one in for them. Axel didn't mind though, he was at least enjoying talking with the kids at the table. It was the one of the only ways that he could keep track of how the kids were doing since their parents were still missing.

"So how was school today kids?" asked Axel

"Fun!!" yelled Linck

"It was ok." said Maeter

"Yeah same here." said Maurice

"And how was school fun today Linck?" asked Axel.

"Well, we played lots of games in class today!!" he said enthusiastically

"Oh really?" said Axel "And did you learn anything from these games today?"

"Oh yeah!" said Linck "We learned spelling, math, our abc's and a whole bunch of other things!"

"Well, that's good to hear." said Axel. "Anything else new with you two kids at all lately?"

"No not really." said Maurice. "It was just another usual day for me."

"Me too." Said Maeter.

"I see." said Axel. "And did all of you get your homework done tonight?"

"Yes grandpa." said the kids simultaneously.

"Good, lets keep it that way ok? I don't want to have to tell Holland and Talho that your not doing what you're supposed to" said Axel

"We will." said the kids cheerfully.

It was at that same time that Renton and Eureka had finally made it to Axels doorstep after carefully getting through town and not being noticed.

"Well, here we are." said Renton kind of nervously.

"Yeah." said Eureka. "I wonder what kind of reaction that your grandpa will have."

"I don't know." said Renton. "I'm almost too scared to know, but lets find out anyways shall we?"

"Ok." said Eureka and with a nervous sigh from both of them, Renton knocked on the door.

"Who would be knocking on the door at this time of night?" said Axel grumpily. He and the children had been sitting in the living room watching television when someone started knocking on the door. He got up from the sofa, walked over to the door, opened it and said "Yeah, what do you want?"

"Hi grandpa it's me, Renton." Axel stood there in the doorway frozen. The look on his face looked like he had just saw a ghost. At that very moment, he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Grandpa, who's at the door?" asked the children as they all came running to the door.

"Children?" said Eureka. She just stood there with her eyes wide open and almost in shock, for she couldn't believe that her kids were actually there in front of her.

"Hi kids." said Renton softly.

"MAMA, PAPA!!" yelled the kids with much enthusiasm. They couldn't believe that their parents were finally standing there in front of them after a year of not seeing them. Eureka fell to her knees and took her kids in a huge embrace of laughs and happy tears. She didn't know that her children would be there with him. Renton stood there and watched them finally knowing that their family was actually, finally complete. That thought alone was more than enough to bring a warm smile to his face. He then turned to look at his grandpa who was still standing there frozen. "Grandpa, are you ok?" asked Renton..

Axel looked down at his grandson and said "Where did you two come from? We all thought you were dead!"

"Well," said Renton "we woke up in the middle of the forest about two days ago which I guess is where we landed. It took us about the same time to get here, and what do you mean you thought we were dead?"

"Renton," said Axel "Don't you two know how long you two have been missing?"

"No we don't." said Renton

"It's been a year since we lost you two Renton." said Axel. Both Renton and Eureka's eyes went wide, for they couldn't believe what they had just heard.

After the short reunion, the family had went inside and Axel explained everything to them. Everything that had happened, where everyone was, how the Gekkostate had been looking for them and how the kids got into his care were all told to them in complete detail. After Renton and Eureka were told of the situation, they breathed a sigh of relief and felt a lot calmer knowing that everything was ok, even after missing a year of their and their children's lives. Eureka was sitting on the floor playing and talking with the kids when Renton asked "Is the Gekko State even still active?"

"Yeah they are." said Axel. "They're still out there fighting rebels who still believe in Dewey's plans to destroy all scab coral and coralian life forms. They usually stop in and see the kids whenever they're in the area. The last I heard though they were halfway around the world somewhere."

"I see." said Renton. "Is there a chance that we can try to contact them sometime?"

"I'll see what I can do." said Axel. "We keep in contact on an encoded frequency that only I and the Gekko State can use. Hopefully they'll be in range sometime and I'll give them the news."

"Thanks grandpa" said Renton.

"Until then you two are more than welcome to stay here. When Holland and the Gekko dropped off the kids , they also dropped off you and Eureka's things. It's all upstairs in the spare room we that we had set up for you guys in case you ever returned."

"Thank you Mr. Thurston." said Eureka.

"Call me Axel dear, for you're part of the family now." he said with a smile.

Eureka blushed a little and with a warm smile she said "Thank you Axel."

Axel nodded gently and said "Well it's getting late and we had all better get to bed. Maurice, Maeter, Linck, why don't you show your parents to their room."

"Ok!" said the kids and with a gentle tug on his mom and dads arms from Maurice, they took them upstairs to their room, which sat right next door to the kid's room.

When Renton and Eureka walked into their room, they were surprised at how nicely Axel and the kids had set it up for them. In the middle of the room was a large queen size bed with blue comforters and pillows for them to sleep on. On the right hand side of the room were two dressers, one of which they had determined was Renton's and the other Eureka's judging by the contents that were stored inside them. On the other side of the room were two large scenic ocean pictures which gave the room a calm, soothing, and yet relaxing feeling. There was also a large window above the bed with white elegant curtains that had let the light of the moon shine in very serenely, and for a brief moment, the young couple knew that they had made it home safely, which was the most wonderful feeling in the world.

The reunion part 2

Several weeks had gone by and there was still no word from the Gekkostate. Renton and Eureka didn't seem to mind though, they enjoyed their time together as a family. Renton worked at the garage with his grandfather, though he was sworn to secrecy by Axel about what they were working on. He also had to stay hidden when customers came around the shop so he wouldn't be noticed. Although he thought it was a hassle hiding all the time, he knew it was for his and Eureka's safety. While they were working one day, Renton went up to Axel and asked him nervously "Hey grandpa, can we talk for a minute?"

"Sure Renton, what's the matter?"

"Nothing." replied Renton. "I'm just fine, it's something about Eureka."

"Is there something wrong with her?"

"No she's fine grandpa." said Renton "Do you remember when you said that she was part of the family the night we returned home?"

"Yeah why?"

"Well, I wanted to make it official after all that we have been through together in the last year or so." said Renton. After he said that he pulled a little gray box out of his pocket and opened it to reveal the ring inside. "and two, I wanted to get your opinion on the whole thing."

Axel stood there in shock at what Renton had said. After a minute though, a happy look came to his face. "Well," said Axel, "I know you two are really young yet being only 16 at the moment, but if you wish, its fine with me. You have a family to look over now and I have a weird feeling that you're doing the right thing for her and the children."

Renton stood there with a becalmed look on his face and said "Thank you grandpa, that's all I needed to hear." and with that he put the ring back in his pocket and went back to work.

Before he got too far, Axel asked "When do you plan on asking her?" Renton stopped in his tracks, turned around and said "When we have the rest of our family back with us." Axel then nodded in agreement knowing what he was talking about.

As for Eureka, she spent most of her time at home doing chores and watching over their children. She occasionally went out to get supplies and groceries for the house, even though she had to be disguised to do it. She didn't mind though really, she was happy to do it. Every night when the kids got home along with Renton and Axel, Eureka would always have a hot dinner waiting for them on the table. Axel and Renton protested to let them help, but she always refused. In fact if they even tried to help she would either push or kick them out of the kitchen! The boys eventually gave up and let the kitchen be her territory, which Eureka had no problem with at all. The nice thing was she didn't know what Renton had planned for her when they finally got back together with the GekkoState.

The children absolutely loved having their mama and papa finally home at last. They would always be up at the same time as Eureka in the morning and would wait for her to make breakfast for all of them before they headed out for the day. They would always pay attention to what their parents told them to do, as well as their grandfather too of course. Eureka and Renton would always help them with their homework, make sure their chores were done and always made sure they got into bed on time. In a way you could say that they were functioning as a regular, normal family. You could also tell that they wouldn't have had it any other way..

Late one night after putting the kids to bed, Renton was sitting on the bed in their room looking at the engagement ring that he had gotten Eureka while she was in the bathroom getting changed into her night clothes. A warm smile came to his face as the ring sparkled in the moonlight. He could just picture her in his mind of what she would look like in a wedding gown walking down the aisle. As he was thinking to himself, he quietly said "I can't wait until I make you my wife, Eureka." It was just then that he heard the door creak open and heard Eureka say "Renton?"

Renton quickly snapped shut the lid on the tiny box and quickly stuffed it back in his pocket.

"You ok Renton?" asked Eureka.

"Yeah, Just fine!! You just scared me a bit that's all!" he said. He then let out a heavy sigh and thought "Man that was close!" After he calmed down a bit he looked over at Eureka and said "Is there something wrong Eureka?"

"No." she replied calmly. "I was just wondering if we will ever get back in contact with the Gekko State soon that's all."

" We will don't worry." said Renton. "Grandpa has been trying but they haven't been in radio range at all. It'll happen we just have to keep trying."

Eureka gave a gentle nod and said "Ok."

"Listen," said Renton, "Lets get to bed and get some sleep. We can try again tomorrow and hopefully we'll finally get lucky ok?"

"Ok." said Eureka with a calm, happy expression on her face. It was the look of a woman in love, and it was a look she only gave Renton.

As the two turned out the lights, Eureka laid down and cuddled with him with her back up against Renton's chest. Renton then wrapped his arms around her and quietly said "I love you Eureka." in her ear. She then turned her head toward him, and with the look of true love on her face, she said "I love you too, Renton." and with that they gave each other a gentle goodnight kiss and fell into a nice comfortable sleep.

When Renton woke the next morning, he was laying on his back and Eureka had her head laying on his chest and her left arm was draped across his midsection. The way she looked when she slept brought a warm smile to his face. He knew that she was comfortable by the way she looked. It was then he heard the door creaking open again as three little heads peeked in.

"Shhhh" said Renton quietly. He slowly and gently moved Eureka as not to disturb her from her sleep, then carefully got up and quietly went into the hallway. When he got there he asked the kids "Hey, want to go downstairs with me and help me make your mom some breakfast?"

"Sure papa!" they all said quietly and they then all snuck downstairs into the kitchen.

A little while later Eureka started stirring in bed as smells of food started drifting into the room. Before she could even get up, a knock came onto the door.

"Who is it?" she asked. Just then all three kids came running into the room, jumped on her bed, and gave their mom a huge group hug. As laughs and giggles came from the room, Renton and Axel walked in behind them carrying bed trays full of food.

" We all ate already." said Renton. "But me, the kids, and even grandpa made yours for you and brought it up to you to enjoy here."

"Thank you everyone!!" said Eureka. As she sat there and enjoyed her food, they all sat in the room with her talking, joking around and having an all around good time together. It was probably the best time they had ever had as a family.

Meanwhile up in the skies above, the Gekkostate was finally getting close to Bellforest.. Everyone on the ship was doing their own thing after they had all had a hearty breakfast themselves. Holland, Hap, Gidget, Woz, and Moon Doggie along with Ken-goh were all in the bridge doing their normal day to day operations. Talho was back in their room tending to her and Holland's son, while Hilda and Matthieu looked after the LFO's since Renton wasn't around to do it. Mischa sat in her office as always looking through all the research on Eureka and Renton that she did still trying to understand it. After a little while, Gidget piped up and said "Leader, we have an unknown contact paging us!"

"Who is it?" asked Holland

"Not sure." said Gidget. "The frequency they're using is encoded so it's hard to tell."

"I wonder?" said Holland. "Hey Hap are we near Bellforest at all?"

"Yeah." said Hap. "We're about three hours out.."

"Hey Gidget put the transmission through!" said Holland.

"Roger!" said Gidget. In a second the voice of an old man came through the speakers.

"GekkoState this is A.T calling- do you hear me?"

Holland knew who it was right away. The only time Axel would contact them is if it was something wrong going on with the kids, but this time his voice sounded different..

"Axel this is the GekkoState- what's wrong with the kids this time?" Holland replied.

"Nothing." said Axel. "The kids are fine. This is another matter which may be of some concern to you."

"Oh yeah and what's that?" said Holland

"Well, it concerns Renton and Eureka." said Axel. Just then the cockpit of the Gekko went to a dead silence.

"Yeah what about them?"

"Well, they're back home now, here in Bellforest with me." Axel replied.

"WHAT!!!" yelled Holland.

"Yeah they're home Holland! They have been for several weeks now.. We've been trying to contact you but you haven't been in radio range up until now."

"How are they? Are they ok?" asked Holland Excitedly.

"They're great Holland. They've been sitting here waiting for you guys to show up for the past several weeks now enjoying their time with the kids." said Axel.

"Well tell them to hang tight! We're on our way! Gekko out!"

"A.T out!" and the radio went silent.

"Doggie, set our course for Bellforest and step on it!!" Holland yelled.

"Roger that!!" yelled Moon Doggie. After that he set their course and put the booster rockets on full blast.

"Gidget, complete radio silence from now on unless it's Axel!"

"Roger that!" said Gidget.

"Hap, watch those trapar counts!! Woz, Make sure there are no rebels in our way!!

"Roger that!" replied Hap.

"Roger leader." said Woz.

It was just then that everyone else came running into the cockpit wondering what all the excitement was about.

"Hey leader what's going on?" asked Matthieu.

"Yeah!" said everyone else.

"Its Renton and Eureka- they're back home in Bellforest!!" said Holland.

The excitement in the cockpit was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. "So everyone get to your stations!! If we go fast enough we can make it in two hours instead of three!" Yelled Holland

"Roger that!" yelled everyone and they all scattered to their positions. The only one who didn't move was Talho, who stood there next to Holland with their son in her arms.

"You ready for this Holland?" asked Talho gently with a smile on her face.

"Yeah, I have been for a while now. It'll be great to see them again after what happened." said Holland calmly.

"Yeah it will be won't it?" said Talho. They then looked at each other with a calm smile and then looked ahead of the cockpit as the earth went by them at incredible speeds.

Axel had decided that after the last transmission that he wasn't going to tell them. He wanted to keep it a surprise for Renton and Eureka. He was sure the two would love it. Before he walked out of the radio room though, he changed the look on his face to hide what he was doing. As he walked out of the room, he immediately ran into Eureka as he entered the hallway.

"Any luck yet?" asked Eureka.

"No not yet but we'll keep trying, ok?"

"Ok." she said calmly and went on her way.

"Whew that was close!" he said to himself.

Two hours later like Holland had planned, the GekkoState landed at the Bellforest airport. Since everyone wanted to go and see the young couple, they all climbed on top of either the 606, 808, or the completely rebuilt 909 and headed out in vehicle mode. In another fifteen minutes the crew would be complete again, along with the surprise that Renton also had for them.

Axel, Renton, Eureka, and the kids were all sitting in the living room watching T.V. It was a nice, lazy weekend with gorgeous weather on this particular day. Axel could barely keep his excitement at what was going to happen, but he kept his posture at all times until a knock came to his door.

"I'll get it!" said Renton.

"No you sit tight and I'll get it." said Axel as he got up from the sofa. Axel then walked up to the door, opened it and said "What do you want?" as he winked at Holland and the crew motioning them to play along. "Well?" asked Axel again as the crew of the Gekko stood there with smirks on their faces while they tried not to laugh and give themselves away.

"Grandpa who is it?" asked Renton as he, Eureka and the kids got up and went to the door. When they got there, Renton and Eureka stopped in their steps and froze while the kids continued to run outside and say hi to everyone. The very same crew that they had called family was finally standing there in front of them after a year of not being with them.

"Hey little shrimp, aren't you going to say anything?" said Talho with a calm, motherly tone.

"Hi Renton and Eureka, how have you guys been doing?" asked Holland.. Before they knew it, the young couple had ran up to them and embraced them tightly before going around and saying their hello's to the rest of their family of which they had missed so much. Soon enough everyone had clamored inside to catch up on all that they had missed while they were gone. After a long afternoon of talking, joking around, and eating, Renton piped up and said "Hey, can we go see the Gekko? It's obviously been a while and I'd like to see it again."

"Sure let's go!" said Holland, and without another word everyone climbed on top of the LFO's and took off in the direction of the Gekkostate.

In fifteen minutes, Renton and Eureka arrived at the ship that they had once called home.

Holland, Talho, and the kids took Eureka and Renton around the ship and showed them a few things that had changed since they left. For one the room that was next to Holland and Talho's room that was a closet had been nicely transformed into a room for their new son. The second thing was that Renton's old room had unfortunately got turned into a closet again, which kind of depressed him a bit. Talho then took them to one final door that they didn't recognize.. Renton wasn't too worried about it though for he thought there wasn't any room for him on the ship anymore. The same thought worried Eureka too until Talho said "We've got a surprise for you in this room!"

As Talho opened the door, they all walked into the room and the young couple were surprised to see a bedroom just like Holland and Talho's. As they looked around the room and everything in it, Eureka asked "Who's room is this?"

"Go remove that door plate and you'll find out." said Holland with a smirk on his face.

As Eureka went to the door and removed the face plate that hid the name tag, Her and Renton's eyes went wide as they noticed their names on it. When they turned to look at Holland and Talho, the happiest look in the world came to their faces.

"We thought you two would like to have your own room together now if you ever wanted to stay or visit with us." said Talho.

"Thank you!" said the young couple, as they embraced both Holland and Talho. "You're welcome," said Holland "now lets go join the rest of the crew before they come looking for us."

"Ok." said Renton and Eureka. They then walked out of the room and made their way to the lounge where everyone had gathered for the night.

After they arrived at the lounge, they all continued to talk, eat and joke around all night long like nothing had ever changed since they left the Gekko. It was one of the most comfortable times everyone had ever had on the ship since the young couple went missing.

After a while Holland noticed Renton started acting a little strange. At first he didn't want to say anything, but after a little bit he finally asked "Hey Renton, are you ok?"

Renton looked up at him and said "Oh, yeah I'm fine!!" kind of nervously.

"Ok if you say so!" said Holland.

Renton had finally decided that the time was right. It was time for him to do what he had been wanting to do now that everyone was finally back together. It had been too long a wait for him. Slowly he got up and nervously said "Everyone I have something that I've been wanting to do since we've gotten back together today." The room went quiet as everyone turned their attention to Renton. "Eureka could you join me up here please?" asked Renton.

Eureka then got up from where she was sitting and went and joined Renton as he stood in the front of the room.

"Eureka," said Renton, "There's something I've been wanting to ask you, but I wanted to wait until we had everyone back together. Now that we do, I think it's finally time that I did." he said nervously.

"What is it Renton?" asked Eureka.

It was then that Renton let out a nervous sigh, got down on one knee and pulled a little gray box out of his shorts pocket. Everyone in the room let out a gasp because they knew exactly what was going on.

"Eureka," said Renton, "me and you have been through a lot together. Probably more than any couple should have. A few times we almost lost each other because of those times, but we always managed to stick together in the end, and now I want to make it official. I guess what I'm trying to say is Eureka, is that I love you with all my heart, and so will you be my wife? Will you marry me?"

As Renton was saying this, he had opened the box, exposing the ring that was inside.. Eureka couldn't believe what had just happened in front of her. All you could see were the tears of happiness running down her face.

"Oh Renton!!" said Eureka, "I love you so much! Of course I'll marry you!!" and with that Renton slipped the ring on her finger.

The room exploded into a outburst of applause, cheering, and happy tears. In the excitement you could hear Holland say "Ladies and gentleman, I give you the future Mr. and Mrs. Renton Thurston!!"

Renton couldn't believe he had done it. He finally made Eureka his future bride. In a way you could say that he was the happiest person in the world besides Eureka. It was then that Talho silenced the room and said "Well, I guess we have a wedding to start planning!! Eureka, I'll be helping you myself personally!!"

Eureka nodded her head yes in anticipation as she held the hand of her future husband.. She then looked at the ring on her hand, looked at Renton and then said "Let's do it!!"

"What date should we set?" asked Renton

"How about a year from this day?" said Eureka

"Ok it's settled then!" said Renton. "The wedding will be one year to this day!!

The room exploded in excitement of the engagement as they celebrated all night long.


	3. The wedding

-1Chapter 3- the wedding part 1

Dominic and Anemone had finally settled into a nice married life a year after the second summer of love. They really missed Renton and Eureka though after the two had sacrificed themselves to try to save the world. The two had been out traveling with each other to not only try to find Eureka and Renton, but to also hopefully discover themselves.

After not having any luck finding the two after two years worth of searching for them, Dominic and Anemone had ironically made their home in Bellforest, which no one had knew of yet. The two were still in the military but were only on call nowadays.. That's the way they liked it though. It meant peace and quiet most of the time with no missions to go on or worry about.

The young couple had finally rented a small two bedroom apartment near the edge of town. The second bedroom had been transformed into a small home office for any military work that they had to do. Otherwise, it was set up like any other normal apartment in town. It was nice to have after two years of living out of hotels and motels.

Dominic was finally finishing unpacking their things into their new place while Anemone was just finishing up on the way they wanted things to look when they got done after everything was set up. As she was doing this, Dominic looked at her and smiled. No longer did she look like a military LFO pilot. Now she looked like a normal, everyday person. Wearing blue jeans, a Pink short sleeved shirt and tennis shoes, he thought she was the most beautiful person in the world. After a few minutes of watching her work, she turned, looked at him, walked over and gave him a small kiss. She then gave him a warm smile and went back to work.

After a little while the two had finally finished working on their new home.

"Well, it's done." said Dominic. "What do you think Anemone?"

"I love it!!" said Anemone happily. "It's home.." You could tell by the look in her eyes that she was finally ready to start her new life as a married woman, as Mrs. Dominic Sorrell.

"You hungry dear?" asked Dominic.

"Starved." said Anemone. "Moving into a new place sure works up an appetite."

"Yeah it does!!" Dominic replied. "Lets go out, my treat!"

"Ok!! Let me go get cleaned up a little first. All this moving has made me a mess!"

"Yeah me too!!" said Dominic with a laugh. "I guess I should get cleaned up also!"

"Well then let's hurry up and go! I can't sit here and starve for forever you know!!" The two laughed as they went and got cleaned up before going out for the afternoon.

Meanwhile, Talho and Eureka were at the bridal shop going over the last few details on the wedding dresses before the big day. Eureka was in the dressing room trying on her dress and veil at the same time to make sure everything looked right and fit right. When Eureka walked out of the dressing romm for the final time before her wedding day, the way she looked almost brought tears to Talho's eyes.. The dress was white and was a little longer than her height and had a short train following behind her. It was form fitting and yet it wasn't too tight on her, and of course it was cut low in the back to accommodate her wings. The veil she wore went down and ended at the end tip of her dress, not quiet hiding her wings but more like highlighting them. The set-up was simple yet elegant when the red roses bouquet was set up next to it.

As Talho looked at her, she asked "How are you feeling Eureka?"

"Happy, nervous, scared mostly." said Eureka softly. "Is that normal?"

"Yeah it is." said Talho. "I felt the same way when me and Holland got married."

"Ok ladies I think we're all set." said the store clerk suddenly. "I'll take care of the finishing touches. I'll call you when it's ready so you know when you can pick it up."

"Thank you sir." said Talho. "Eureka, go get changed into your regular clothes now. I'll take you out to lunch when you're ready.

"Ok." said Eureka with a smile. She then went into the changing room and started changing while Talho took care of the final details with the clerk.. The clerk was the same one who did her dress for her wedding and she swore him to secrecy about Eureka, which was no problem since she was his best customer.

While this was going on, Dominic and Anemone had just happened to be walking by that same exact bridal shop when Anemone just happened to have peaked into the window.. What she saw in the shop made her stop in her tracks, almost pulling Dominic's arm out of it's socket.

"What is it Anemone?" asked Dominic.

"Is that who I think it is?

Dominic looked inside the window of the bridal shop and as he did his eyes went wide. "No it can't be!!" he said.

"Well don't just stand there!!" said Anemone "Lets go find out!!"

"Ready to go Eureka?" said Talho after Eureka stepped out of the changing room.

"Yeah, I'm ready. Lets go eat." said Eureka. It was then that the door to the store opened and a familiar voice sounded.

"Eureka?" asked Anemone. Eureka's eyes went wide as she turned to look at the person who had just called her name. When she did, she was surprised at who she saw.

"EUREKA!!!" yelled Anemone as she ran up to her and gave her a big hug. "How are you? It's been so long!! Where have you been? Where's Renton?"

Before any of these questions could be answered, another familiar voice came in from behind Anemone.

"Hi Eureka." said Dominic.

"Dominic." said Talho.

"Mrs.Novack, good to see you doing well."

"Just call me Talho, Dominic. You don't have to keep calling me that you know."

"Yes ma'am." said Dominic.

"So what are you doing here in Bellforest you two?" asked Talho..

"We just moved here just a few days ago." said Anemone. "We were just walking along on our way to lunch when we noticed you in the store.. By the way, what are you doing in here if you're already married?"

Talho laughed out loud and said "We're not here for me silly, we're here for Eureka."

"Oh really? Who's the lucky guy?" asked Dominic.

"Renton!!" said Eureka as she blushed shyly, and with that she showed them the ring that he got her.

"You mean he's back too!!" said Dominic surprisingly.

"Yeah he is." said Talho. "He's out whooping it up with the boys right now as we speak."

"I see." said Dominic with a laugh, for he was in that situation just a short time ago.

"We were just on our way to lunch also." Said Eureka. "Do you want to join us?"

"Sure lets go!!" said Anemone, and with those words the small group headed on their way.

While at lunch, the group of four caught had caught up with each others lives and what had happened in the last two years or so. Eureka and Talho were surprised to learn that Dominic and Anemone had married as well.

"When did this happen?" asked Talho.

"A year after the second summer of love." said Dominic. "It was a private ceremony with just me and her."

"Sounds sweet." said Eureka.

"It was totally romantic." said Anemone. "It was the best day I had ever had in my life." She said while looking at her husband.. The look she gave him put a warm smile on his face. Dominic then looked at Eureka and asked "So, when is the big day for you and Renton?"

"In seven days!" said Eureka. "I've been waiting a whole year for this." She then turned to look at Anemone and said "Hey Anemone?"

"Yes Eureka?"

"I know its really last minute, but how would you like to be in the wedding with us?"

"Oh I'd love it!! Thanks Eureka!!" said Anemone excitedly..

"I'm sure Renton would want to have you there too Dominic." said Talho.

"I'd be honored." said Dominic.

"Well I guess we'd better go back to the bridal shop after lunch and get you fitted Anemone." Said Talho.

"Works for me." said Anemone. "Is it ok with you Dominic?"

"It's fine dear." he said. "I'll go get fitted myself. I'm due for a new suit anyways." The group laughed at the comment, finished their lunch and went back to the bridal shop.

Later that night Talho, Gidget, and Hilda were sitting in the cockpit of the ship just a wee bit upset. Their men hadn't showed up back at the Gekko yet after promising to be home a little after dinnertime.

"Where could they be?" asked Hilda in an irritated tone.

"I hope they're ok." said Gidget.

"They won't be after I'm done with them." said Talho with an agitated tone to her voice. The men had been out since early in the morning and it was now going on midnight. Eureka had went to bed since she was a bit tired, but she was also quite upset also that they hadn't come back yet. All of a sudden two blips came onto the radar.

"606, 808, and 909 are coming in!! said Gidget.

"It's about time!" said Hilda.

"Ahhh, we have a problem." said Gidget.

"What is it?" said Talho.

"They're coming in fast and erratically!!" Yelled Gidget..

"Brace for impact!!" yelled Talho. "Is landing the ramp open?"

"Yes it is!" said Gidget. "30 seconds until they land.."

The three looked outside to see the two LFO's flying extremely erratically.. It was obvious to them that they had been whooping it up a little too long this time.

"15 seconds!!" said Gidget.

"This is going to hurt!!" said Hilda yelled.

"5 seconds!!"

"Hang on you guys!!" Yelled Talho. When the three LFO's landed, it sounded like they had hit with terrifying crash. The utter sound of it was enough to wake up Eureka and the rest of the crew, along with the dead since it was so loud. When Eureka got up, she went to the door to see Talho, Hilda, and Gidget walking towards the ships hangar.

"What happened?" asked Eureka

"The boys are finally home." said Hilda. "and the way they landed didn't look too pretty."

"RENTON!!" yelled Eureka as she ran ahead of the three other women to make sure her fiancé was ok.

When the women got there all they could do was laugh at the situation. The 606, 808 and the 909 were crashed into the end of the hangar bay but weren't too badly damaged. Holland, Doggie, Matthieu, Renton, Hap, and Stoner had all somehow managed to stammer out of the LFO's but that's all the farther they got, for they all had passed out drunk on the hangar's floor. Carefully the women went downstairs to the hangar to make sure the men were ok. It soon became obvious that they were just drunk but not battered from the crash. Hilda then called the rest of the crew down to the hangar to help carry the men to their rooms. It actually turned out to be the most comical part of the night getting them to their rooms.

The next morning the men had woken up with the worst hangovers you could have ever seen. The women just smirked and forgave them. Seeing them as they were was punishment enough for them, especially for Renton who had never drank before. It was really hard for him to say the least. Eureka pretty much stayed by his side all day to make sure he was ok, even though everyone told her he would be. "Now that's dedication." said Hilda to herself as she watched Eureka. Nothing concerning the wedding was taken care of that day. Everyone had figured they had better let the men recuperate first after partying like they did.

The wedding part 2

The next five days were a flurry of activity aboard the Gekko. The women were getting the ship ready for the wedding by being in charge of decorating the hangar for the big day. The men were put in charge of running errands and picking up any supplies the women needed. Even Dominic got stuck helping everyone since Anemone volunteered him. Talho, Eureka, and Anemone went out and had gotten all the dresses for the wedding while all the men were in charge of picking up their tuxes. Meanwhile, Hilda, Gidget, and even Ms.Mischa took care of getting all the final details done and ready before the final night of the wedding. As the tired and worn out crew finally looked back and stared at the hangar, they couldn't believe what they saw:

Two long rows of oak colored benches lined each side of the hangar bay while red and white streamers and red roses lined the sides and tops of them. A red runner rug which would be covered in red rose petals in the morning went down the middle of the aisle up to the alter arch, which was also covered in a beautiful array of red and white roses and looked absolutely gorgeous. The crew couldn't have been happier with their work.

The night before the wedding, Holland and Talho had Eureka sleep in their quarters on an extra bed they set up while Renton stayed in their room. It took Holland and Talho a little while to get Eureka to go to sleep since she was on pins and needles due to all the excitement, but they were eventually able to get her to sleep.. Dominic and Anemone stayed in the kids room with the kids for the night so as not to be late coming from their place. Everyone else was able to sleep in their own quarters for the night with no problems.

The next morning was a mess of activity. Everyone had gotten up early to help with any last second details that had to be done without having Renton or Eureka see each other, which was almost mission impossible. After the last few details were taken care of and ironed out, everyone went to their designated changing rooms to start getting ready. The women took Talho and Holland's room while the men got ready in Renton and Eureka's quarters. The colors that had been chosen for the women's dresses was the same color as Eureka's lavender eyes, which carried a nice contrast to all the colors that were being used. The men wore the traditional black and white tuxes. Mischa wore a regular dress suit since she was going to be holding and sitting with Talho and Holland's baby up in the front.

When Eureka stepped out of Holland and Talho's bathroom for the final time before the wedding began, all the women stopped and stood there frozen and in silence.. Standing there in front of them was probably one of the most beautiful brides they had ever seen. Anemone was the first to speak out of the group.

"How you feeling Eureka?" she asked.

"Nervous but extremely happy." she Replied. "I've been waiting for this for a year now. I can't believe it's finally here."

"You ready to be a wife now?" asked Hilda.

"Yeah." she said. "It'll be nice for the kids to have a real father for a change."

"True." said Talho. "Renton does adore them."

"And them him." said Eureka. "They do love him so."

"Well," said Mischa with a soft smile rarely seen on her face, "Shall we begin?"

"Yeah lets go." said Eureka Softly. And with that the group of women left the room and started towards the hangar.

The men were already at the hangar door ready to begin. Holland was stationed at the bottom of the stairs so he could walk Eureka down the aisle since he was the only real father figure she ever knew. The rest of them stood at the top to walk with the women down the aisle. Renton stood ready at the altar with a look of happiness and anxiousness on his face. "This is going to be the best day of my life.." he said to himself quietly.

After all their family and friends had finally been seated, the ceremonies finally began. The first to walk in the precession were Dominic and Anemone. The next came Hilda and Mattheiu, then Gidget and Doggie and finally Talho and Hap. Then the moment that Renton had waited an entire year for finally arrived- he would finally be able to see his bride to be.

As the wedding march music began to play, Eureka appeared at the top of the stairs to the hangar and began slowly walking down. Renton couldn't believe how beautiful she looked in her dress. It almost brought a tear to his eye when he saw her. When Eureka finally reached Holland at the bottom of the stairs, he stared and smiled and said "You ready?"

"Mmmhmm, I am." she said. They then went arm in arm and began walking down the aisle.

As the music continued to play and Holland walked Eureka down the aisle, Renton still couldn't believe how beautiful Eureka was. He absolutely thought she was the most beautiful bride he had ever seen. When they finally got to the end of the aisle, Holland gently handed Eureka off to Renton. As he did this, Holland said "Please take care of her, Renton."

"I will, I promise." Renton replied. Holland smiled and took his spot. Renton then took Eureka arm in arm and said "Shall we dear?"

"Lets." she said and after that, the young couple stepped up to the altar.

Before we begin with the ceremony, may I ask who gives this young woman away?" asked the Pastor.

"Me and her mother." Holland said. This reply was a shock to some, but it put a smile on Talho and Eureka's faces.

"Let us begin then." said the Pastor. "Ladies and gentleman, we are gathered here today to join Renton Thurston and Eureka Novack in holy matrimony.. If anyone has and objections as to why these two shouldn't be married, please speak now or forever hold your peace."

The room stood silent for a few moments until the pastor continued.

"Very well." said the Preacher. "Renton, do you take Eureka Novack to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to care for her in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better and for worse until death do you part?"

"I do" said Renton with a warm smile on his face while he looked at her.

"Eureka," said the pastor. "Do you take Renton Thurston to be your lawfully wedded husband. Do you promise to care for him in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better and for worse until death do you part?"

"I do." said Eureka softly.

"The rings please." said the pastor. With that command, Dominic handed the rings to Renton and Eureka.

"Renton, please repeat after me." said the pastor. "With this token of my affection, I promise to love you, cherish you, and be faithful and to honor you for as long as I shall live. And so with this ring, I will be wed."

"With this token of my affection, I promise to love you, cherish you, and be faithful and to honor you as long as I shall live. And so with this ring, I will be wed." repeated Renton as he slipped her wedding ring on her finger..

"Eureka, Please repeat after me." said the pastor. "With this token of my affection, I promise to love you, cherish you, to be faithful and to honor you as long as I shall live. And so with this ring, I will be wed"

"With this token of my affection, I promise to love you, cherish you, to be faithful and to honor you as long as long as I shall live. And so with this ring, I will be wed." she repeated while slipping his ring on his finger..

"And so with the power vested in me by god and by the city of Bellforest, I know pronounce you man and wife. Renton, you may kiss your bride."

With that command, Renton gently lifted the veil off her face and gave her the slowest, most passionate kiss she ever had. After that, he slowly pushed himself back and said "I love you Eureka."

"I love you too, Renton." said Eureka. With that said the newly married couple faced the room as the pastor said "Ladies and gentleman, I proudly give you the new Mr. and Mrs. Renton Thurston!!" The hangar exploded into applause as the couple walked back up the aisle.

Shortly after the wedding, everyone except Renton and Eureka who went to their room, went to work once again switching the hangar around for the reception afterwards.. Since Matthieu had all the equipment available, he did the Djing while everyone else did the decorating and helped with the food preparations. While this was being done, Renton and Eureka sat in their room with the children as they all held each other and talked to each other finally as a real family.

"We finally did it." said Renton. "We're finally a real family."

"Yeah we are, Renton." said Eureka softly as she looked at her new husband. She then looked down at their children and asked "What do you think kids?"

"I think it's great!!" said Linck

"Yeah!" yelled Maeter. "We finally have a real papa now!!" Renton laughed a bit at her reaction and then said "What about you Maurice, what do you think?"

" I think it's nice." he said. "Maybe now we can finally stay together forever this time."

"We will, I'm sure of it this time." said Eureka.

"So am I." said Renton. "I'm not leaving you guys alone ever again, I promise. Now that I have children that I love who need me as well as a beautiful wife who also needs me as much as I need her, there's no way I'm going anywhere without you all."

"That's right." said Eureka.

"Yes it is momma!!" said Linck.

Eureka laughed a bit and said "Yes, Linck it is. If we're going to be a family, we'll have to rely on each other to get through even the toughest of situations."

"And that's what we'll do!!" said Renton. "I'll make sure of it."

"We'll make sure of it." said Eureka softly as she gently silenced and kissed him.

"Ok, We'll make sure of it." said Renton as he smiled slightly knowing that Eureka had to correct his first of probably many mistakes as a husband. It was then that a knock came to their door.

"Who is it?" asked Eureka.

"It's your parents!!" said Talho with a laugh as she and Holland walked in. Renton and Eureka were also laughing at their reaction.

"So how are you guys doing?" asked Holland.

"Great now that we're a real family finally." said Renton.. "It's been too long a wait in my opinion."

"That's great to hear." said Talho. "I'm glad to see that you're all happy."

"Yes we are." said Eureka. She then looked at Holland and said "Hey Holland?"

"Yes?"

"During the wedding, why did you say that you and Talho were my parents even though you really aren't?"

"Well," said Holland, "Me and Talho talked it over a day before the wedding while you weren't around and we felt it was the right thing to do since you have never really had any real parents in your life before."

The answer he gave her put a warm smile on her face along with a slight blush. "Thank you." she replied softly.

"Anything for our only daughter, Eureka." said Talho. It was then that Hilda walked in and said "Hey, the reception hall is ready whenever you guys are!"

"Ok we'll be there in a few Hilda thanks." replied Holland..

"Roger that." said Hilda and then she left the room.

"Well, are you all ready to begin your life as a family?" asked Talho.

"Yeah we are!!" Maeter answered cheerfully.

"Alright then, lets start our new life here and now!!" said Renton.. "And besides, I'm starving!!" he said with a laugh. He then looked at Eureka, took her by the hand and said "Shall we dear?"

"Mmmhmm, let's go." said Eureka. "And when the dancing starts, the first dance is all yours my dear Renton."

"Of course it is, it's a tradition." said Renton. They then gave each other a kiss and headed back towards the hangar.

The reception that evening was a grand event. The crew of the Gekko did a great job as always rearranging the hangar for the event. The food that they made was almost exquisite. The bouquet toss was a hilarious event with Hilda finallly being the eventual winner. The look she gave Matthieu afterwards put a worried but funny look on his face. Doggie was the next winner with the garter belt toss, making Gidget a happy woman after that event. After a long night of Dancing, eating, and celebrating, everyone except the Gekko crew had left. They were still sitting at a couple of the tables watching Renton and Eureka dance to one more slow love song that Matthieu had decided to play for them. All their children had fallen asleep in Hilda, Holland, and Gidget's laps.

"I wish this would never end." said Eureka Quietly.

"It doesn't have to." said Renton. "We have the rest of our lives to do this over and over again."

"True." said Eureka peacefully. "I hope our new lives together are always peaceful like this."

"It will be, don't worry." said Renton softly. The young couple then gave each other a slow, soft kiss and continued dancing with each other until the end of the song in a close, loving embrace. The thing is Renton didn't know how wrong he was going to be about keeping their lives as peaceful as possible.


	4. Return of the Nirvash

-1Chapter 4- Return of the nirvash

A month later at a rebel military base several hundred miles away from Bellforest, news of the wedding had been somehow leaked to the senior official on the base..

"WHAT!!??" he yelled. "When did this supposedly happen?"

"About a month ago sir!!" said the information officer. "The two had somehow sneaked in without us knowing about it, sir!"

"Dammit!!" yelled the senior official. "Where the hell are the two of them now?"

"With the Gekkostate, sir. They have been flying around with them ever since the wedding."

"What about the grandfather and the kids? Are they still at home? If they are we can bring them in and use them as bait to lure them out."

"Negative sir! They went with them. Before they left, they loaded what looked like some sort of LFO unit. The informant couldn't tell at the moment because it was covered up at the time of loading."

"Damn." said the senior official. "Alright then, lets get into contact with all of our military bases and units so we can alert them of the situation. Also, get Dewey's 6 brats out of basic training so we can get them into actual LFO training right away. I'm sure they'll love getting revenge for him since the Gekkostate caused his death." He chuckled a evil laugh after he said this.

"Aye sir!!" replied the information officer. He then ran out the door to follow his orders.

Meanwhile on the Gekkostate, Axel had finally made the final adjustments on the LFO that he had been secretly working on. The form of it was quite similar to the Nirvash, but was more advanced in his opinion. The cockpit was strangely enough able to also hold two people, though the enclosure lid was one piece instead of two. It was an odd set-up the way it looked, but it worked well. Axel had also painted it the same colors as the Nirvash. He thought it would be a great remembrance of it. The name he gave it was for Holland, who watched over Renton and Eureka for so long. He carefully named it the "Novack" in thanks. After all the final adjustments were done, he put the cover back on it and called the crew down to the hangar. Once everyone had arrived, Axel had Holland, Renton, and Eureka stand in front of the group.

"Everyone," Said Axel, " This has been a project that took a lot of time a patience. It also took a lot of love, mainly because I've been working on it since Renton and Eureka unfortunately came up missing, but now are home with us and happily married. It's also named after Holland, who watched over the two for so long. This machine has to be piloted by two people, and you two know who you are. So without further ado, Renton, Eureka, and Holland- I give you the NOVACK!" and with that said, Axel pulled the cover off of the LFO. A chorus of ooh's and ahh's and various other comments echoed in the hangar. For a moment the crew thought they were looking at the Nirvash once again until they noticed how different it was.

"It's the same colors as the Nirvash was!!" said Eureka.. "It's amazing!"

"Yes it is dear." said Renton. "It's so different though."

"Its more advanced than the Nirvash was," said Axel. "But it should operate the same as it did."

"Thank you Axel." said Holland. "You didn't have to name it after me though."

"Yes I did." replied Axel. "After what you did for the kids, I figured you deserved it." The reply Axel gave him put a smile on his face.

"It's pretty mama!" said Maeter.

"It's cool!!" yelled Linck.

"Very cool!" replied Maurice.

"Yes it is." said Eureka Softly.

"It's way more advanced than anything I've ever seen!" said Renton as he sat in the cockpit. "Yet the controls are pretty much the same as the Nirvash."

"Yes they are." said Eureka. "Even the compact drive is the same!!" It was then that she saw that an Amita Drive had somehow been installed into the LFO. "Axel!" yelled Eureka. "Is that what I think it is on the compact drive unit?"

"Yes it is dear." said Axel. "It's an extra unit that the military had hidden away. I got it from captain Jerguens after the summer of love incident. I don't know if it works or not though. It doesn't seem to react to me. Hopefully it will with you two at the controls."

"I have a feeling it will grandpa." said Renton. "I can sense that this unit is connected to the Nirvash somehow."

"Me too." said Eureka. "It makes me wonder how well it works."

"Well lets find out." said Holland. "I'll go out in the 909 while Hilda and Matthieu go out in the 606 and the 808. Let's get moving and see what the Novack can do."

"Roger that!!" replied everyone as they headed to their stations.. Soon enough everyone was at their positions waiting for the test flight to begin..

"Gidget lower the catapult!" said Talho.

"Roger that!" she replied, and with the push of a button the catapult of the Gekkostate lowered.

"Novack you ready for this?"

"Roger!" said Renton "We're ready to go."

"Alright then." said Talho. "This is just a little war game to test the Novack so let's be careful ok?"

"Roger that!" they all replied.

"Alright then Novack taking off!" yelled Renton and with that they activated the catapult and flew off into the sky.

"Good thing that the weapons systems haven't been activated yet.." said Axel. "I didn't want anything to happen while they were out there. But if there are any malfunctions, it will still tell us."

"Roger that." said Talho. "Renton did you hear that?"

"Roger, that'll work." he replied.

"606, 808, 909 heading out!!" yelled Holland. "Let's see if these two still have what it takes!" and with that the three LFO's launched off the catapult.

"You'd be surprised Holland at what we can do." said Renton.

"Oh really?" he replied "Prove it." he said with a laugh.

"Ok my dearest Eureka, let's show them what we're still capable of! Said Renton.

"Yes let's go!!" said Eureka. And with that the exercises began.

"Amazing!!" said Talho as she watched them fly around. "It moves and maneuvers better than the Nirvash ever did!"

"It should with all the work I put into it." said Axel. The rest of the crew just sat there and stared as the Novack danced, twisted, and just plain out maneuvered the other three LFO's. Within a matter of a few minutes, Renton and Eureka had amazingly gotten confirmed hits and kills on all three of them without a single confirmed hit on them.

Later that evening after they all had docked in from a few more war games, Renton, Eureka, and the rest of the crew gathered in the lounge to discuss the exercises..

"That was amazing you two!!" said Holland.

"I can't believe you two beat us in all those war games in that short of amount of time!!" said Matthieu.

"No kidding!" said Hilda. "That was the best piloting I've ever seen!!"

"It was nothing." said Renton with a laugh.

"It was easy!" said Eureka. "All of the weapons and guidance systems worked fine as so did the controls. The compact drive functioned properly also with no problems even though we never tested out the amita drive yet."

"Maybe we can try to test that tomorrow on the next run" said Renton.

"That's fine." said Mishca. "I monitored all the flights and everything checks out fine. Axel, could you activate all the weapons systems please so that we can see how they react?"

"Yeah no problem." said Axel. "It should be ok now that I know that everything is in order."

"We never doubted you Axel." said Holland.

"Yeah grandpa you're the best mechanic around!" said Renton. And with that they all went through the rest of the reports before they retired for the night.

The next morning Renton and Eureka took the Novack out once more this time fully armed and ready for battle, even though it was only one last test run.

"Ok Eureka let's see what kind of power this thing really has." said Renton.

"Let's do it!" said Eureka.

"Amita drive activate!!" and with that command the couple pulled up on the compact drives lever and initiated it. When they did, the familiar green light that they knew all too well lit up the cockpit of the Novack, bringing the LFO to life.

"Amazing!!" said Mischa. "The readings here are off the charts! They're bigger than the Nirvash's ever were!"

"Impossible!!" said Holland. "The power levels can't be that high!! Not for a LFO!!"

"I know!!" Mischa replied. "Even the way it moves and reacts are totally different than yesterday! The reaction times are faster, quicker, and a lot more precise than before!! The way it moves is indescribable!"

"Are we sure this isn't the Nirvash reborn?" asked Talho nervously.

"It's hard to tell at this moment." said Mischa. "The probability of it is extremely low. But if it is it'll be hard to tell what happens next."

"Alright lets bring them in." said Holland "That's way more than enough for today."

"Roger that." said Gidget. "Novack, this is the Gekko.. Please return to the ship. All testing is now complete."

"Roger that." replied Eureka. "Novack heading for home.."

"That was amazing!!" said Renton while they were returning. "That was the most power I've ever seen out of an LFO!"

"Yes it was." said Eureka softly. "This child did well today."

"Yeah it did." replied Renton. "Very well indeed."

"It was almost like the Nirvash was back with us somehow."

"That's impossible!" said Renton. "We lost her after I rescued you from the command cluster!"

"I know!" replied Eureka. "But she said that she would return to us someday in the future."

"True Eureka, she did say that." said Renton. "But I don't think it's possible at all." What happened next stunned everyone.

"It is possible Renton if you believe."

"Who said that? Eureka did you hear that?"

"Yeah I did." she replied worryingly. "Where did it come from?"

"Renton, Eureka, who was that? What's going on out there?" said Holland from the radio.

"We don't know Holland! We're as confused as you are!" said Renton. Suddenly the voice came back again.

"Anything is possible if you two believe in each other."

"Believe in what?" said Renton.

"In becoming one with the world and with each other." replied the voice.

"Nirvash, is that you?" asked Eureka.

"Yes Renton and Eureka, it's me."

"But how? And why Nirvash?"

"I said that I would return to you two one day, and that day has finally come."

"For what, Nirvash?" asked Eureka.

"There are new forces out there getting ready to destroy all remaining coralian and scab coral life forms. It is now up to all of us and all of your friends and family to stop them all once and for all."

"But I thought we stopped them all already?" said Renton.

"No unfortunately we haven't." replied the Nirvash. "The danger is back and it's just as dangerous if not more than before.."

"But why?" asked Renton with a concerned tone.

"It's Dewey." Replied the Nirvash. "His spirit still lies within the six kids he took in when he was alive. Those children have joined with the rebel military forces to go against the coralian and scab coral life forms."

"DAMMIT!!" yelled Renton. "And after I promised you, Eureka, that we'd live a quiet, happy life together."

"And you will, Renton, I promise. No matter what happens, I'll always be by your side this time." said the Nirvash. "I also promise that I will keep Eureka safe along with you, no matter what the cost."

"Renton, I believe her." said Eureka. "I don't know if this will be the last time for us, but I'm willing to do it for us and our family. I trust what she's saying."

"Ok." said Renton with a worried tone. "For us and our family. I may not like the idea, but I'll do it for them." Eureka nodded yes with a warm smile on her face to his reply.

"Holland."

"N-Nirvash?" Holland replied.

"Please protect these two with all your might. They are the only ones who can help stop this war."

"Thanks Nirvash I will. I made that promise to them a long time ago, and I ain't about to break it now."

"Thank you, Holland." Nirvash replied. "This is probably the only time I'll be able to communicate with you. The rest of the time will be with Eureka and Renton only."

"I understand. Thank you, Nirvash."

"Thank you, Holland." she replied and the radio went silent.

"Holland, what do we do?" asked Talho nervously. "I had a feeling something like this was going to happen."

"I don't know." he replied. "All we can do is back them up and protect them now. If it's a war they want, it's a war they get."

"Are we prepared for that though?"

"We're going to have to be." he replied. "If what the Nirvash is saying is true, we're going to have our hands full for a while."

"I can't believe she's back with us." said Renton as they were flying back to the ship.

"I can." said Eureka. "I think we know what we have to do for us now. Not only us but the world we live in also."

Renton took her hand and said "So do I, Eureka, and we'll do it together."

"Right." replied Eureka. Shortly after the strange conversation, the Nirvash along with Renton and Eureka landed on the Gekko.


	5. Quiet Beginnings

-1Chapter 5- Quiet beginnings

Later that night, Renton lay in bed in their room while Eureka was sitting on the side of their bed getting ready to retire for the night. Renton hadn't been himself since what happened earlier in the day. Instead of being the usual, upbeat, father that he now was, he became somewhat withdrawn and had a worried expression on his face the entire afternoon and evening. The way he had been acting and looked worried Eureka, but she understood how he felt. He was thinking about her and their future as a family, not about fighting another war. When Eureka was finally done getting ready, she turned to see him still laying there with the same expression on his face.

"Renton dear are you ok?"

"I'm not too sure, Eureka."

"Why not? What's wrong?"

"With everything that's going on and happening now, it's not the kind of future that I was hoping and planning for us."

"I know. It wasn't what I was planning on for us either, but I'm willing to do what it takes to protect all of us."

"So am I." said Renton. "It's just not what I wanted for us."

"I understand that." Eureka replied as she sat next to him. "Better than you think I do."

"I know you do." he replied. It's just that I didn't want to have to fight anymore."

"Neither do I Renton believe me." Eureka replied. "But it's our future that we'd be sacrificing again if we don't."

Renton looked at his wife with an expression of understanding. He knew she was right this time. If they didn't fight, there was no telling what would happen this time around.

"True." Renton replied. "I would hate to have to lose you again."  
"You never will, my dearest Renton. I'm sure of it this time."

"So am I." said Renton. "I guess with the whole situation being what it is, I'll have some more understanding and growing up to do.

"No you don't Renton." Eureka replied. "I love you and what you have become. You've become more grown up than you think you have."

"You think so?" he replied.

"Yes I do. If you hadn't grown up into the person you are now, we probably wouldn't be here with each other right now nor would you be the father of those three children in the room next to us."

"Yeah I guess you're right dear" Renton replied. "Even if I was the first person to tell you that I loved you."

Eureka laughed a bit at that last statement. She remembered when he first said that he was in love with her at that battle over Bell Forest almost three years ago. After she thought of that moment, she said "Yeah and it took me a while to understand what those kind of feelings were. Once I did, I finally knew where I belonged, and that was with you by your side."

"So did I the very first time I saw you, even if you did destroy my room on that night." The young couple laughed at the memory of that night. It was one that they definitely wouldn't forget. The Nirvash wasn't responding well to her piloting for some reason, so the GekkoState had decided to take it to the only person that they knew who could fix it. While Eureka had meant to land away from the main building, she still somehow landed and destroyed Renton's room, and then burned the remains the next morning. After a few minutes of laughing, Renton said "Thanks Eureka, I think I needed that. I guess I have to stop dwelling on past events and just look forward to the future."

Eureka then put her head on his left shoulder, took his hand with hers, looked up at him and said "Our future together?"

"Yeah, our future, together, Eureka."

"Well, we better get some rest then, love. We have a long hard road ahead of us."

"Yeah we do, but we'll make it through it all as a family, no matter what it takes." With that said, they gave each other a long, slow good nights kiss, got under the covers and got a nice, long nights rest.

The next morning found the entire crew in the lounge discussing their next step for the upcoming battles ahead.

"I see no way around it." said Holland. "We're just going to have to join the new federation army with Jurgens. That along with the near impossible return of the Nirvash will hopefully get us through this."

"Will it work though that's the question." said Talho.

"It'll have to." Holland replied. "We have no choice."

"Sounds like the plan we used against Dewey when he was around, just on a much larger scale." said Hap.

"It basically is." replied Holland.

"Do we know what we're fighting up against yet?" asked Hilda.

"No not yet." replied Holland. "We're still waiting for reports on that, but from what we've heard so far, it's going to be about half of the military forces."

"That's not much from before." said Matthieu.

"Maybe not." said Talho. "But what they're fighting with is more advanced monsoono class LFO's. They look the same but faster and more efficient than before."  
"Making it harder to fight then." said Hilda.

"Exactly." said Talho. "Which is why We're glad to have Renton, Eureka, and the Nirvash back on board with us."

"And we're glad to be back, even though we wish it was under better circumstances." said Renton.

"We know." Holland Replied. "The question is are you two ready for what's ahead of you?"

"Yeah we are." said Eureka as she took her husbands hand. "We talked about it last night and decided we would fight for all of us and all of you guys."

"And we thank you for that." said Talho. "You know we wouldn't have asked you two otherwise."

"We understand." said Renton. "We decided it was the only way to get through this situation."

"As a family." Eureka continued. "Not only for our children, but you guys are our family as well."

"Alright then," said Holland with a determined look to his face. "We'll get through this together, as a family. A family that won't be beaten, no matter what the cost. We have to get through this."

"Yes sir!" the crew replied as one.

"We won't be in contact with the army for a few more days yet. So all of you have some time off to yourselves." said Talho. "Use it well, because you probably won't be getting any more for a while."

"Everyone dismissed." said Holland. With that command everyone left the lounge. Before Renton and Eureka walked out of the lounge, Holland stopped them and said "Thank you, son. Please, take care of our daughter." What Holland said to him completely surprised him and took him off guard. He then looked up at Holland and said "Don't worry I will, I promise." That reply put a smile on Holland's face knowing that Eureka was in good hands.

The rest of the day everyone on the ship did their own thing for a change while also taking care of regular ship duties along the way. Hilda and Matthieu were in the lounge playing with their music, Renton and Eureka were in their room spending time with the kids, Doggie and Gidget went Reffing together since they we're landed at the time and Holland and Talho spent some time to themselves with their son. It was the most relaxed atmosphere that the Gekko had ever had. Later in the evening, Renton fired up the grill they had on board the ship and they all had an outdoor cookout dinner, which was more like a party to them. Matthieu had the music blaring while Renton and Eureka handled the cooking, Hilda, Doggie, and Gidget played with the kids while the rest of the crew sat back and enjoyed the festivities. By the end of the evening though, everyone was quite full and fully tuckered out.

Later that night, after Eureka and Renton carried their sleeping children to their room and put them to bed, they retired to their room to talk about the day and relax from the evenings activities.

"This was the best day ever!!" said Renton with much enthusiasm. "I really enjoyed our time together with the kids today."

"So did I." said Eureka. "I think our bond as a family definitely got stronger today."

"Yeah I think so too." Renton replied. "It's the best feeling I've ever had."

"I feel the same way Renton." she replied. Eureka then got sort of a nervous look on her face and asked "Hey Renton, would you ever want to be a father yourself someday?"

"Of course!!" replied Renton a bit nervously. He wasn't expecting this sort of question out of her this early in their relationship. "As long as it's with you dear. May it be either a boy or girl, it don't matter. Whatever nature gives us I'll love it just the same.

"Me too." replied Eureka. "As long as it's with you, Renton."

"By the way Eureka, what made you bring up this subject anyways?"

"I'm not sure Renton. I guess seeing how happy Holland and Talho are with their son, how well they get along with our kids, it makes me wonder what having a child of our own would be like someday."

"Well," replied Renton, "there are two ways to find out."

"Really? What are they?" she asked.

"Well, you can go ask Mischa and Talho and they'll give you all the details and information that you want or if you like, we can just find out on our own someday."

"Renton, do you mean what I think you're saying?" Renton let out a nervous laugh and said "Yeah I guess so."

"Oh Renton, thank you!!"

"For what Eureka?" replied Renton as Eureka gave him a big hug.

"For making me so happy!" she replied. "I'm so glad we could talk about this." Renton laughed for a minute and said "Well, if we do have a child of our own someday, when should we plan on trying for it?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure how the kids would react to the idea of us having a baby. I just don't want them to be upset at the idea."

"I'm sure they would be fine, but we'll talk to them anyways and find out what they think. I mean, they're already crazy about Talho and Holland's son."

"True, they do love him."

"Like I do you Eureka." Renton replied as he held her close and kissed her.

Eureka giggled at his reply and said "My dear Renton, whatever am I going to do with you?"

"Oh I don't know. The only things I can think of is to love me and let me be your husband." Eureka let out a little giggle at that response also. It was funny little things like that that always made her laugh.

Later on as the two lay in bed reading and relaxing from the day, Eureka gently spoke up and said "Hey, Renton?"

"Yes Eureka?" he replied. She then put down the book she was reading and looked at him with a look that he had never seen before. Her facial expressions were calm, yet there was a look of soft passion in her eyes, like she was in love all over again. That look had him in a trance, which wasn't hard for him to get into with those soft lavender eyes of hers. He then got knocked out of the trance when She said "Renton, dear, let's become one tonight."

What she just asked him caught him completely off guard and made him blush slightly. He then looked at her nervously and said "Are you sure? I mean we, you, ah, haven't, well, you know."

"It's ok." she replied with caring eyes. "As long as I'm with you, I know it will be ok. I trust you, Renton."

Her response to him amazed him. Even her level of trust in him surprised him. He had never thought things would go this far this fast, even if they were married. He wanted to take his time, earn his trust as a husband since he was still pretty new to it. But the look she gave him let him know she trusted him and that he wouldn't hurt her. It was that level of trust that he had somehow gotten to and didn't want to ever lose. He then looked back at her with the same look she gave him and said "Ok, my love, lets become one, together."

The next morning Eureka was the first one up with the morning sun. When she woke up, her head was resting on Renton's chest. Her left leg was crossing his two legs and her left arm was laying across his midsection in a hugging position. It was the most comfortable that she had ever been with him that she could ever remember. What had happened that previous night was probably the most amazing thing that she would never forget. Somehow Renton had known how to caress her, hold her, love her, and be gentle with her in all the right ways. To her, it was the most beautiful feeling the world. As she was thinking about that night and about how wonderful it was, Renton began to stir and slowly wake up himself.

"Morning, beautiful. How are you feeling today?" he asked.

"Amazing thank you. How about you love?"

"I'm great thank you." he said softly. "Thank you for a wonderful evening."

"No thank you, my dear Renton." she replied. "It was amazing."

"Yes it was." said Renton. "And I'm sure there will be many more like it."

"I hope so." she replied. "So Renton, are you hungry at all?

"Yeah I am." said Renton. "How about you?"

"Mmmhmm." she replied. "It's still early yet and I don't think anyone else is awake. How about we go make breakfast for everyone?"

"Sure!" said Renton enthusiastically. "I'm sure they'll love it."

"Lets go surprise them then!" she replied.

"Lets." said Renton. As the two slowly got up and started getting dressed for the day, Renton had noticed how beautiful she looked in the morning sunlight. The curves of her body, the color of her wings, the way her face looked, it totally made him fall in love with her all over again. It was also way more than enough to put a small, warm smile on his face. While she was getting dressed, Eureka noticed out of the corner of her eye that Renton was staring at her.

"You ok Renton?" she asked.

"Yeah I'm fine." he replied "I'm just thinking about how beautiful you look in the sunlight, that's all."

The reply he gave her put a loving smile on her face and made her blush slightly since she knew how much Renton cared for her. After he said that, she walked around their bed up to him, bent down, gave him a kiss and said "We'd better hurry up Mr. Thurston before our hungry crew wakes up."

A little later on while Eureka and Renton were in the kitchen cooking up breakfast, the crew, Axel, and the children all woke up to the wonderful smells of the food coming in from the dining hall. Slowly but surely everyone clambered into the dining room see what was going on. When they walked in, they couldn't believe what they saw on the tables:

Bacon, eggs, toast, sausage, pancakes, waffles, French toast, oj, milk, and various fruits. There was enough food sitting there to feed an army.

"Morning everyone!" said Renton.

"Hope you're all hungry." said Eureka.

"Did you two make all this?" asked Hilda

"Yep." replied Renton. "We thought you'd all enjoy a good hearty breakfast this morning."

"Well aren't you two the chipper ones this morning." said Talho as she walked in.

"Yeah I guess you could say that." said Renton with a laugh.

"Well let's eat I'm starved!" said Matthieu.

"Dig in everyone before it all gets cold!!" said Eureka.

"Man this is awesome!! A cookout last night and now a home made breakfast this morning, you can't ask for anything better than this!" said Matthieu.

"Especially with these two cooking." said Hap. "They always make the best food."

"You aren't kidding there." said Holland. "We'll all be fat when we get older with the way these two feed us."

"Don't say that, I like my figure where it is thank you." said Talho with a laugh.

After everyone on the ship had finally had their fill of the wonderful breakfast that was prepared for them, they all went to get changed into their regular clothes since they had to take care of their normal ship duties. Everyone except Talho, who noticed something different about Eureka as she watched her and Renton clean up after the large meal. "What is so different about her now? She seems more feminine than before." she thought to herself.

A little while later after Renton and Eureka had finally finished cleaning, Talho stopped Eureka in the hallway. "Eureka can we talk for a second?" she asked.

"Sure." she replied. "Renton go on ahead of me. I'll catch up with you in a bit."

"Ok." he replied and he continued on his way.

"So what's the matter Talho?" asked Eureka.

"Is there something going on between you and Renton? You seem different for some reason today."

"No there isn't. I'm just really happy today that's all." Eureka replied.

"No, it's something else about you Eureka. I just can't figure it out, but I can sense something different about you."

"Well," Eureka replied but she stopped there. "Should I tell her about last night? Should I explain it to her? Will she get mad at me or Renton if I did?" All these thoughts flooded her mind until Talho said "You two didn't do what I'm thinking you did did you?

"But how did she know?" Eureka thought to herself. "I didn't even tell her yet." It was then that Talho spoke again.

"Call it a hunch." she said.

"But how?" asked Eureka

"Don't worry, I'm not mad at you two at all." said Talho. "You two are married now and I can't tell you what to do. Just be careful, ok?"

"Eureka breathed a sigh of relief and said "Ok, we will don't worry."

"Thank you." said Talho. "Well, enjoy your day."

"You too, mom." Eureka replied. That reply was enough to put a warm motherly smile on her face as Talho walked away.


	6. The Rendevous

-1Chapter 6- the Rendezvous

A couple of days later, The GekkoState landed in Tresor to meet up with Jurgens to figure out a battle plan for the upcoming war. Dominic and Anemone were on board the ship also since they got called back due to the upcoming conflict. They stood in the back of the room with Renton and Eureka as the meeting started between Holland, Talho, and Jurgens.

"So, do we know what kind of forces we're fighting up against?" asked Holland.

"From what intelligence is telling us, we're looking at about 160,000 men on their side and slowly growing somewhat. We have about 180,000 right on our side and holding steady. It's still going to be one hell of an uphill battle though no matter how we look at it."

"I see." said Holland. "Do we know what kind of LFO's they're using?"

"Well," said Jurgens, "they have about 80,000 troops on LFO's. The units are the same but totally updated and harder to fight.. They are all like that except for five of them."

"All but five?" said Talho.

"Yes." said Jurgens. "There are five that are more advanced than anything we've ever seen before."

"Who pilots these units?" asked Holland.

"Do you remember those five little brats that I tried to take in after Dewey had them?"

"Yeah why?"

"Well, they defected over to the rebel side and they have been training on those five LFO's."

"Are they even capable of handling something like that?" asked Talho.

"They are now." Jurgens replied. "But they're not being trained for actual battle even though they are very capable of it."

"What are they being trained for then?" Replied Talho.

"To destroy all remaining scab corals and any coralian life forms."

"Does that mean what I think you're saying?" asked Holland..

"Yes." said Jurgens. "They're planning on going back to the Tension mountain range and finish what Dewey started once and for all.."

"Destroying another command cluster. Dammit just when I thought we were done with this whole thing." said Talho.

"At least this time Eureka won't be affected physically by it." Holland Replied.

"It's the emotional and mental effects that I'm worried about." said Talho.

"I'll be fine, don't worry." Eureka replied all of a sudden. "As long as I have Renton by my side, we can make it through anything."

"I hope so." said Holland. "We just worry about you after the last incident like this that's all."

"I understand." she replied. As they continued on with the meeting, Eureka suddenly got a weird feeling in her stomach, like something she ate that morning didn't agree with her. It was strange to her since she had never felt like this before. As Anemone stood next to her, she noticed a weird look on Eureka's face like something wasn't right, like she wasn't feeling well at all. For a moment she looked almost pale.

"You ok Eureka? You don't look well."

"I don't know Anemone." Eureka replied. "I just don't feel too good all of a sudden."

"Do you need me to take you to the bathroom at all?"

"That may be a good idea Anemone." Eureka replied. After she said that, Anemone led her out the door in a hurry to the bathroom.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Dominic.

"I don't know." Renton replied. "She was fine earlier this morning."

"Well I hope she's alright." said Dominic.

"Me too." Renton replied. "I need her to be well in order to help pilot the Nirvash."

"Yeah I understand that." Dominic replied. "If I remember correctly, it won't operate with just one pilot."

"That's right." said Renton. "It takes two to pilot it." It was then that Eureka and Anemone walked back into the room..

"Eureka, dear, are you ok?" asked Renton.

"Yeah I'm fine." she replied. "I think breakfast this morning didn't agree with me, that's all."

"Ok, if you say so." Renton replied. "But we'll keep an eye on you just to make sure ok?"

"Alright, that's fine." she replied softly. His response put a smile on her face knowing that Renton was trying to take care of her. They then stood there and watched as the meeting came to an end.

"So, do we know all the locations of their bases then?" Holland asked.

"About 80 percent of them." Jurgens replied. "They have some that are hidden that we are trying to locate. That's where Anemone and Dominic come in to play. Those two are the ones you should thank for getting all this info."

"It was nothing." said Dominic.

"Just part of the job." Anemone Replied.

"Thanks you two we owe you one." said Talho. Dominic and Anemone then nodded their heads yes in reply.

"So do we make the first move or do we wait for them?" asked Holland..

"We wait." replied Jurgens. "We don't make a move unless they do."

"Understood." said Talho. "At least we know where we stand."

"Yeah I guess." replied Holland. "All we can do now is sit still until something happens. Talho, I want you to put the crew on full alert mode and to have them get prepared for anything that happens."

"Roger that." Talho replied.

"Renton, Eureka, I want you two to stay on the Gekko and stay rested. You'll need all the rest you can get with all that's going to happen."

"Understood." Renton replied.

"Alright, lets get back to the Gekko and get ready to go." said Holland. "Jurgens, until we meet again."

"It won't be long enough." Jurgens replied jokingly. The Gekko crew then left the Izumo and boarded back onto their ship.

The next few days were real tense and long as the crew prepared for the upcoming battles. As all of this was going on, Renton got more and more worried about Eureka, who didn't seem to be getting any better since the meeting on the Izumo.. He tried everything he could to help her, but nothing seemed to work. He even tried to convince her to see Mischa because even the kids got worried about her, but she for some reason kept refusing. Renton finally had to give up and went to Talho for help.

"Talho, can we talk for a minute?" Renton asked nervously.

"Sure Renton." she replied. "Is everything ok?"

"Not really." said Renton.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Eureka." he replied. "She's been getting sicker and sicker since we left the Izumo and I've tried everything to help her and nothing has worked."

"Have you tried Mischa?"

"Yeah I tried that route, but she keeps refusing. So I thought maybe you could try talking to her, since she won't listen to me."

"Sure Renton. Thanks for letting me know. I'll go talk to her right now."

"Thanks Talho."

"No problem Renton, anytime. Where is she now?"

"In our room laying down, but she is awake."

"Alright, I'm on my way then." She then went from the cockpit of the ship and headed towards Renton and Eureka's Quarters.

When she arrived, Eureka was right where Renton said she would be. The poor girl looked pale and tired as she lay there on the bed. Talho could tell almost right away that she needed Mischa's care.

"Eureka, dear, can we talk?" said Talho.

"Sure." Eureka replied. She then slowly sat up on their bed. She had a worried look on her face because she knew what was going on.

"Eureka, your husband and kids are worried sick about you. Renton mentioned to me that you haven't been getting any better since the meeting on the Izumo. Why won't you go see Mischa?"

"Well, I just thought it would pass that's all." Eureka replied.

"But it hasn't, has it?" asked Talho.

"No, I'm afraid not."

"Well then Eureka, I'm not only giving you this order as co-captain of this ship, but as your mother as well. Go see Mischa right now. I'll page her now and let her know that you're on your way."

"Ok, Talho." Eureka replied. She didn't like the idea of seeing Mischa since that would mean more prodding and poking from all the tests she would run, but she couldn't argue against Talho. She then got up slowly and headed towards Mischa's office. When she got there, she noticed Mischa sitting there waiting for her.

"Welcome in dear. Have a seat on the examining table. We'll do a few basic tests to make sure it's nothing serious. Talho already gave me the details and I'm hoping it's only a minor flu bug. If it isn't, I'm going to run a few other tests on you, ok?"

"Ok." Eureka replied softly.

A little while after Mischa got done running her tests, she said "Well, I'm not getting anything definite right now, but I want you to try this flu medication to start. If you don't feel any different in the next two days, I want you to come see me right away ok?"

"That's fine." Eureka replied.

"Alright then, go get some rest and I'll see you in a couple of days, alright?"

"Ok." Eureka replied and she left the room. A couple of days later, Eureka went back to Mischa's office as she was told, still not really feeling that well at all let alone any better.

"Are you feeling any better at all?" asked Mischa.

"No." she replied. "It's just as bad as it was before."

"Strange." Mischa replied. "Just to be curious, when are your symptoms usually the worst?"

"In the mornings." Eureka replied.

"In the mornings?" Mischa replied. Eureka nodded her head yes in reply. "But when did you and Renton….?" Mischa stopped there as her eye's went wide.

"About a week ago." Eureka said. "Me and Renton have been married a little over a month and…." Mischa stopped her there.

"You don't have to explain it to me Eureka, I've been married before. But I'm going to run one more final test on you. If it comes out like I think it is, you and Renton are going to be in for one of the biggest surprises of your lives.


	7. The Gift of Life

-1Chapter 7- the gift of life

Renton was sitting in the lounge of the ship playing with the children and waiting for Eureka to return when Mischa paged him on the intercom.

"Renton, could you come up to my office please?"

"On my way." Renton replied. "Is it ok if I bring the kids along?"

"Sure- their reaction to what I'm about to tell you two should be interesting."

"Oh, ok then. Be there in a few then." he responded and the com went silent.

"Well kids, let's go!" said Renton.

"Ok papa!" they all replied cheerfully. They then made their way up to Mischa's office. Within a few minutes time, Renton and the kids had made it up to the medical room. When they walked in, Eureka was sitting there patiently at one of the examining tables.

"Mama!" the children yelled.

"Hi kids." Eureka said softly

"Eureka." said Renton.

"Hi dear." she replied as he gave her a kiss.

"How are you feeling?" asked Renton.

"Ok at the moment." she replied. It was then that Mischa walked into the room.

"Everyone here?" she asked.

"Yeah we are." replied Renton. "So what's going on with her?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary." replied Mischa.

"What do you mean?"

"She's fine Renton. Nothings wrong with her at all."

"Then why is she so sick all of a sudden?"

"It's normal for a woman who is pregnant." said Mischa calmly. After she said that she turned to see Renton, Eureka, and the kids staring at her with their eyes wide open.

"What's wrong you guys?" asked Mischa.

"Did you say what I thought you just said?" replied Renton nervously.

"Yes I did." replied Mischa. "What Eureka had was the symptoms of morning sickness. She's just about a little over a week in."

"You mean me and Eureka are going to be….?" said Renton.

"Yes, parents." replied Mischa. "Congratulations you two."

"But so soon?" Renton thought to himself with a worried expression on his face. "We weren't planning on having a child this early."

"Eureka, I'll give you some medication to help keep your symptoms down ok?"

"Ok, thank you, Mischa."

"You're welcome dear. Now you guys get going. I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about."

Later on in their room, Renton and Eureka sat quietly on their bed surrounded by their kids trying to think about the whole situation at hand. They knew that they wanted a child of their own someday, but just not this soon and not without talking with the kids first. After a few minutes though, Maeter was the first one to finally break the silence that filled the room.

"Momma, are you and Renton really going to have a baby together?" she asked.

"Yes dear, that's what Mischa told us." Eureka replied.

"Did you plan this without us knowing about it?" asked Maurice.

"Of course not!" Renton replied. "We were going to talk about it with you guys about having one sometime in the future, just not right now at this point in time."

"Yeah." Eureka continued. "This was as big a surprise for us as it was for you."

"Are you sure about that momma?" asked Maurice snottingly.

"Maurice of course I'm sure!" Eureka replied harshly. "I didn't plan on this you know!!"

"Eureka!" Renton replied with a shocked tone to his voice.

"Sorry, Renton dear." she replied softly. "I guess everything that's going on has me on edge a bit that's all."

"It's ok." said Renton as he gave her a hug and a small reassuring kiss. He then looked at their kids and said "Listen you guys, this doesn't mean anything will change between all of us. Me and your mother still love you all the same now as we did back then. The only thing that's different now is that we're going to have a new addition to our family."

"Hey momma are we going to have a baby brother or sister?" asked Linck.

Eureka laughed slightly and said "We don't know Linck. It's still too early to tell yet."

"So we're going to go through with it then momma?" replied Maurice.

"Yes we are son." said Renton. "and I want you guys to help your momma whenever she needs it ok?"

"But what about the war momma?" asked Maeter.

"I'm still fighting." Eureka replied. "But I promise to protect our new child and the rest of our family."

"Are you sure Eureka?" asked Renton.

"Yes I am." she replied. "If Talho was able to do it for us when she was pregnant, I can too."

"Alright then, I guess it's all settled then. We're going to have this child and welcome it into this world and our family. I also promise to help you whenever you need it dear."

"Thank you, Renton." she replied.

"Hey Renton, what about Holland and Talho? We have to tell them too you know. If we don't, Mischa will tell them herself eventually." Maurice replied.

"Yeah, I guess I never thought of that." said Renton with a worried tone. "I guess we had better tell them now rather than later."

"I just hope that they don't get too mad at us." said Eureka. "This was an unexpected surprise to us."

"Yeah no kidding." Renton replied with a slight laugh. "But listen, it's late and you kids need to get to bed. After that, me and you will go talk to Holland and Talho, ok Eureka?"

"That's fine." Eureka replied. "Alright kids, let's go."

"Awww but momma." they all replied.

"Now no arguments, come on." she said gently.

"Ok momma." they replied. As Eureka led them out, she turned and looked at Renton with a smile, a smile telling him that everything would be alright, no matter what happened.

After a little bit, Eureka walked back into their room and saw Renton sitting on the end of their bed with his head hanging down looking at the floor. It almost looked like he was upset or worried about something.

"Renton, dear, are you alright?" she asked as she walked towards him. Renton then brought his head back up and said "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just a lot to take in at one time, that's all."

"I hope it isn't too much for you." she replied. Renton then looked at her with caring eyes, kissed her, and said "No, not at all. We've been through a lot worse than this before."

"That's good." she replied. "When should we go tell Holland and Talho?"

"Better we do it now while we have the chance. There may not be another one after tonight."

"True, lets go then." said Eureka nervously

"Alright, let's go."

At the same time, Holland and Talho were sitting on the floor in their room playing with their son. It was one of the few times that they were able to enjoy time with each other with everything that was going on.

"I hope Eureka is ok." said Talho. "She still wasn't feeling that well when I saw her this morning."

"I'm sure she'll be fine." Holland replied. "She has Mischa and Renton looking after her."

"I know, but I still worry about her. She is our daughter you know."

"I know I remember." replied Holland with a slight laugh. It was then at that time that someone knocked on their door.

"Come in!" said Talho. After she said that, Renton and Eureka walked into the room.

"Well hey you two!! How are you feeling Eureka?" asked Talho.

"I'm much better thank you." Eureka replied softly.

"That's good to hear. So what brings you two down here?" Holland asked.

"Well, there's something we need to tell you, but we're kind of afraid to." Renton replied.

"Why is that?" asked Talho.

"It's something that we don't want you to get mad at us about that's all." said Eureka.

"Eureka if this is about the other day, I already told you…." and Eureka stopped her there.

"It's not about that." Eureka replied.

"What is it then dear?" asked Talho.

"Well, you remember how I haven't been feeling well right?"

Talho got a worried look on her face and said "Yeah I remember why?"

"Well, Mischa finally told us what was going on with her." said Renton.

"Is it something serious?" Holland asked.

"No, come to find out she's perfectly healthy." Renton replied.

"Well what was it then?" asked Talho.

"Well, umm, we're expecting a baby. We're pregnant." said Eureka nervously.

"WHAT?!" yelled Holland. "But how?!"

"You should know the answer to that you idiot!" replied Talho. "When did you two find out about this?"

"Earlier this evening. Mischa dropped the news on us rather politely considering the situation." Renton replied.

"Are you going through with it?" asked Talho.

"Yes we are." replied Renton. "We already talked about the situation with the kids and they're ok with it."

"We can't let you two go out there and fight then." said Holland. "It'll be too dangerous."

"We're going to fight anyways." said Eureka. "If Talho could do it for us when she was pregnant, I can too."

"But…." said Holland.

"No arguments." Renton replied. "We've already decided to fight to protect our family."

"Making another decision without me I see." said Holland.

"We do what we believe in Holland, you know that." said Renton.

"Yeah, Yeah I know." said Holland. "But listen, we are going to give you two as much extra protection that we can, I'll make sure of it."

"Thanks Holland." replied Eureka.

"No problem you two. It's part of what we're here for." Holland replied. "Not only to win this war, but to also protect our family."

"Anyways you two, thanks for letting us know. Don't worry we're not mad at you, I'm sure it was an unexpected shock to both of you." said Talho.

"Yeah it was." replied Renton. "More than you know."

"Well, you two go get some rest now. We have a surprise coming for you guys tomorrow." said Holland.

"A surprise?" asked Renton.

"You'll find out tomorrow." Talho replied. "Now get going and get some sleep."

"Ok, goodnight mom, dad." said Eureka

"Goodnight you two." Holland replied. Renton and Eureka then walked out of the room and headed back towards their room.

"Well, that was a shocker." said Talho.

"Yeah I know." Holland replied. "Who would've guessed it would happen to them at this point in their lives."

"No kidding." said Talho. "I'm glad that they haven't found out about Anemone and Dominic joining us on the ship with a new LFO."

"It'll definitely make it an interesting day that's for sure."

"Which means we had better get some rest ourselves, dear." Talho replied.

"True." said Holland. "I'll go put our son to bed, then we can get to bed ourselves."

"Alright, see you in a few." replied Talho. Holland then took their son to his room next door to lay him down before retiring for the night.

The next morning Eureka and Renton got what they thought was going to be the surprise that Talho talked about. She had somehow managed to organize a last minute breakfast in bed party with the crew for them to congratulate them on the upcoming arrival. When Renton asked if this was their surprise, she said "No not yet. That's still to come."

Later on in the lounge, the young couple were sitting there playing games with the kids when Talho walked in and said "Renton, Eureka, come with me please."

As they were walking along, Renton asked "Talho, why are we heading towards the ships hangar?"  
"You'll see." she answered.

When the three reached the hangar, Renton's jaw dropped at the sight of the LFO that sat in front of him.

"What kind of LFO is that?" he asked.

"Renton, Eureka, meet the Venturion." Talho replied.

"It's amazing Talho. Said Eureka. "Who pilots it?"

"Thought you'd never ask." said Talho. "Ok you guys, open her up!"

Slowly the canopy lid of the LFO opened up and exposed the two familiar and yet friendly faces sitting inside.

"Dominic, Anemone!" said Renton.

"Hey guys!" said Dominic as the two climbed down off the ship.

"Anemone!" said Eureka

"Eureka!" said Anemone as the two ran to each other and gave each other hugs. "How are you doing?"

"I'm great." Eureka replied. "How about you?"

"Same here." she replied.

"So how is married life treating you Renton?" asked Dominic.

"Oh, it's definitely been interesting to say the least." He replied.

"Why would you say that?" asked Anemone.

"Well," said Renton as he wrapped his arm around Eureka, "We're expecting a baby. We're pregnant."

"What?!" said Dominic. "Eureka, is this true?"

"Yes it is." she replied. "We found out yesterday. It was kind of a surprise to us."

"Well congrats you two!" said Anemone.

"Thanks." said Renton. "So what brings you two out here?"

"Well, other than the new LFO we wanted to show off, we had a meeting with captain Jurgens and he said we could stay here with you guys." replied Dominic.

"Awesome!" said Renton. "But where will you stay?"

"We have a room set up for them already." said Talho. "So there's plenty of space for them."

"I guess our family on this ship just got a little bigger." said Eureka.

"I guess so." said Talho. "Lets go you two. I'll show you to your room so you can get settled in."

"Alright." said Anemone. "See you two later?"

"See you soon." said Eureka. As the two watched Dominic and Anemone leave the hangar with Talho, Renton and Eureka knew somewhat that they had been brought in to help aid in their protection. They didn't care too much though, they were still happy to have their two friends aboard the ship anyways.

Early that evening, everyone was in the dining room eating yet another huge meal prepared by Eureka and Renton. The two had decided to make a welcome aboard dinner for Dominic and Anemone to make them feel more at home on the ship. The only problem that they had was that they made a little too much.

"Oh man, am I stuffed." said Matthieu.

"I won't be able to eat for another week." Stoner replied.

"Better make that a month the way those two feed us." said Ken Goh with a laugh.

"I've never seen so much food in my life." said Hilda.

"If I try to pack in another bite I'll explode." said Dominic.

"No kidding." Anemone replied. "Hey Talho, do you guys always eat like this?"

"Usually only when Renton and Eureka are around." said Talho jokingly.

"I think I've gained about 15 pounds or more since they started cooking again." said Holland.

Talho heard him say that and just couldn't resist firing on his response. "You needed it my dear husband."

"Hey now you." said Holland with a laugh.

"So I guess everyone had their fill tonight?" asked Renton.

"You said it." said Gidget.

"That was enough food to feed an army." Doggie replied.

"It was almost enough for two armies." said Hap.

"I'm sorry did we make too much for you guys?" asked Eureka.

"No, you're fine." said Talho. "Besides, you're eating for two now."

"Eating for two?" she replied.

"You and the baby silly." said Talho.

"Oh, ok, sorry." replied Eureka with a laugh.

"It's ok." Talho replied. "I guess you're still not used to being pregnant quite yet."

"No not really but I'm loving every minute of it so far."

"That's good to hear." Talho replied.

"So you two are really going through with it?" asked Dominic.

"Yeah we are." said Renton as he put his arm around his beautiful wife. "We wouldn't do it any other way.".

"We believe in the gift of life, so it's only natural." said Eureka.

"It's great to see you two so much in love." said Anemone. "It almost makes me jealous knowing you two are having a baby together."

"Ahhh, Anemone, dear, what are you saying?" asked Dominic nervously.

"We'll talk about it later, ok?" she replied as she kissed her husband.

"Uhh, ok." he replied.

"Geez, we're going to be running a daycare if that keeps up." said Holland.

"Yeah, but you love every minute of it and you know it." Talho replied.

"Yeah, yeah you got me. I guess it helps though that we have plenty of adults on board that are good with kids." replied Holland.

"It's a team effort." said Hilda. "But I know I love it."

"I know we do." said Renton about him and Eureka.

"I don't mind them." said Gidget. "I like playing with them."

Talho laughed and said "It fits your personality."

"Really?" asked Gidget.

"Yeah it does." said Talho. "You're always upbeat, cheery and smiling all the time."

"Wow, I didn't know I was like that all the time." Gidget replied.

"Yeah you are." Talho replied.

"Well, I guess we'll be getting some experience now too since we're on board this ship." said Anemone.

"But Anemone!" replied Dominic.

"No Dominic, she's right." said Holland. "If you want to stay, helping to watch and raise the kids is one of the duties of the ship."

"Yeah, Renton and Eureka have to have a day off sometimes too you know." said Hilda. "They like the rest of us are allowed personal days occasionally also."

"Alright, I understand." said Dominic.

"You had better." Anemone replied. "I am not passing this chance up for the world."

"I can see who sets the rules in that household." said Hap with a laugh.

"Hey now!" yelled Dominic.

"Chill dear." said Anemone. "He was only kidding so relax."

"Yeah I know." Dominic replied. "Natural reaction I guess."

"One we'll have to work on." said Anemone.

"Yes dear." said Dominic.

"Alright everyone, lets get this place cleaned up and retire for the night. Maybe then we can relax and wear off this food." said Holland. With that order, everyone pitched in to get the dining hall cleaned up after the huge meal. Within a half hours time, the room looked like nothing happened at all.

"Great job everyone." said Holland. "We'll see you all in the morning. Good night all."

"Goodnight Holland and Talho." everyone replied. After that everyone else retired to their rooms for night to try to digest all the food that they had ate that evening. A few minutes after leaving the dining room, Anemone and Dominic arrived in their room and began talking about the wonderful evening the Gekkostate crew had prepared for them.

"That was an awesome dinner wasn't it?" asked Anemone.

"Yeah it was." Dominic replied. "Those two really outdid themselves this time around."

"I'm really happy for those two. They have almost everything planned out for themselves as to what they're going to do and when they're going to do it."

"Yeah they do." said Dominic. He then changed the subject of the conversation to themselves. "By the way, did you mean what I though you did when the subject of those two having a baby came up?"

"Yeah I guess." she replied. "I've always dreamed about us having our own little miracle someday. I've always thought about how great it would be if we did."

"Anemone, how come you never told me about this?"

"A little nervous I guess." she replied. "I didn't know what your reaction would have been."

"We'll I'm glad you did, Anemone. I've though about it plenty of times myself too, believe me."

"You have?" she replied.

"Yes I have." said Dominic. "I think it would be great if we did sometime in the future also."

"Thanks Dominic, it makes me feel better now that I know that. I just never thought you'd really think about something like this." "You're welcome dear." said Dominic. "Now let's get into bed, relax, and get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow getting used to everything here."

"Yeah, sounds like a good idea. I'm a little tired after traveling anyways." Anemone replied.

"Ok, see you in the morning then dear." he replied. He then gave her a goodnight kiss and fell into a deep sleep with his wife by his side.


	8. The First Strike

-1Chapter 8- The first strike

"What the hell was that?" Yelled Holland. What felt like a giant earthquake had just jarred him from his sleep.

"Holland get to the bridge now!" said Talho over the intercom. "We're under attack! Multipule LFO units are surrounding the area!"

"Hang tight! I'm on my way!" he replied. "Man, this sure is one heck of a wake-up call." he muttered to himself. A few minutes later he had somehow managed to get himself to the bridge despite the wild maneuvers that Doggie was using to avoid and dodge the attacks.

"Hows the situation?" asked Holland.

"Tight at the moment. It was a surprise attack." Talho replied.

"How many LFO's are out there?"

"About ten right now. Not sure if there are any more reinforcements on the way or not."

"Are our LFO's ready for launch?"

"Yes they are leader!" Gidget replied. "The 606, 808, Venturion, and Nirvash are ready to go!"

"Roger that! Talho, get the catapult lowered and ready for launch!"

"Roger!" she replied.

"Ken-goh, try to keep those things off of us until we can get the LFO's in the air!"

"I'm trying!" he replied. "Those upgrades that they got are making it hard to keep up with them!"

"Holland, the catapault is ready to go!" yelled Talho.

"Roger that! Launch the LFO's now!" Holland replied.

"606, heading out!" yelled Hilda. Within a second of saying that the catapault sent her out into the battle.

"808 launching now!" yelled Matthieu as his LFO jetted off the catapault.

"Venturion, keep the Nirvash as protected as you can!" said Holland over the radio.

"Roger that! Launching now!" Anemone replied as her LFO took off.

"Renton, Eureka, you know what to do." said Holland.

"Roger!" they replied. "Nirvash launching now!" Yelled Renton. And with that they were off into the battle.

"Leader, five more rebel LFO's have shown up on the radar!" yelled Woz.

"Dammit can they handle that many at once?" asked Holland.

"They have to we have no choice." Talho replied.

"Nirvash- two down!" said Eureka over the radio.

"They got two already?" said Holland.

"That's what she said." Talho replied.

"Venturion, one down, still on Nirvash's right, just a little below them!"

"Roger that! Thanks Anemone!" said Renton.

"Thank me later! Pay attention to the situation!" she replied.

"Roger! Sorry!"

"Nirvash, on your left!" yelled Hilda on the radio.

Suddenly the Nirvash quickly dodged to the right, avoiding the incoming LFO as it launched multipule missles. After losing the missiles with a series of turns, dances, and a little luck, it quickly dived down and took out the LFO with it's scythe blade.

"Another one down!" said Renton.

"Ok that's four! Eleven to go!" replied Matthieu over the radio.

"808 above you!" said Hilda

"Roger that I got'em!" he replied. As the monsoono dived down on him, he dodged to the left, turned back to the right, dived back down on him and took him out with the laser. "Scratch one! Man if they upgraded these things they should have upgraded their pilots!"

"Enough with the jokes Matthieu!" said Hilda.

"Hilda, two coming in from behind you!"

"Roger!" she replied. As the two units closed in on her, the 606 soared skyward, did a cut back drop turn, avoided their laser attacks and took both units out with hers. "Scratch two!" she said.

"Nine to go!" said Renton. "Venturion, two on the left, one right! How does a little double team action sound?"

"Sounds like fun let's do it!" Anemone replied.

"Alright then let's go!" said Renton. What happened next took everyone off guard. The compact drives of both the Venturion and the Nirvash lit up with that ever familiar green light. At that point in time, the two units had somehow become interconnected with each other, like they were in some sort of mental union.

"Renton, what's going on?" asked Eureka.

"I don't know! Anemone, is your compact drive reacting?"

"Roger! It's like the two units are talking to each other somehow!"

"Well, if they are lets see what they can do!"

"Alright let's do it!" Anemone replied.

"What is this?" asked Matthieu over the radio.

"I have no idea!" Hilda replied. "I've never seen fighting skills like this before!" As the two watched in amazement, they couldn't believe what was happening before their eyes.

Somehow in some unbelievable event, the Nirvash and Venturions powers had both increased together along with their maneuverability and fighting capabilities. The speed of the units was something else also. They had never seen LFO's move as fast as these two did. The monsoono squad that had attacked them just a little bit ago suddenly didn't have a chance and were quickly defeated within a matter of minutes. Even as advanced as the new monsoono units were, they still weren't able to keep up with the speed of the two LFO's.

"Leader, all confirmed rebel units now confirmed gone." said Woz.

"Confirm that." said Talho. "Holland, what was that?"

"I'm not sure." he replied. "Gidget, get them on the radio so we can make sure they're ok."

"Roger!" she replied and within a matter of seconds had them both online with the Gekko.

"Venturion, Nirvash, you guys alright?" asked Holland.

"Roger!" they all replied.

"We're fine here!" said Renton.

"We're good here also!" Anemone replied. "Even though I think Dominic almost lost his breakfast."

"Good to hear." said Holland. "So what happened out there?"

"Not sure." said Renton. "It's like the two LFO's connected to each other somehow."

"So it was nothing between you guys at all?"

"Negative." said Anemone. "It was strictly the LFO's only."

"You sure?" Holland replied.

"Positive." said Eureka.

"Alright then. Everyone come on home. We'll discuss this later."

"Roger!" they all replied and the radio went silent.

"Gidget, open the landing bay. They should be here any second. Once they're secure, let's leave this airspace for a bit."

"Roger that." she replied.

"Talho, keep an eye on things for a bit. I'll be in our room if you need anything."

"You ok Holland?"

"Yeah I'm fine. Just have to try to figure out what happened here today."

"Roger that." she replied.

"606, 808, Venturion, and Nirvash confirmed landed and secured." said Gidget.

"Ok, close her up and lets get out of here." said Talho.

"Roger that." said Doggie. He then fired up the boosters of the ship and left the airspace that they had just been attacked in.

A few minutes later, Holland called Dominic, Anemone, Eureka, and Renton to his room to find out what had actually happened.

"So Renton, when you and Eureka activated the compact drive unit, you say the one on the Venturion reacted also?"

"Yes Holland." said Renton. "I've never seen or felt anything like it before."

"Yeah no kidding." replied Anemone. "The power was just absolutely immense."

"And it didn't affect any of you mentally at all?" asked Holland.

"No it didn't Holland, not even physically." Eureka replied.

"Well, except for Dominic who almost lost his Breakfast." said Anemone.

"You're telling me." he replied. "Those maneuvers were beyond anything a normal human could do."

"But you're alright now right?" asked Holland.

"Yes I am thank you." Dominic replied.

"So basically the two units activated as one as soon as Renton and Eureka activated their compact drive, causing both of them to increase in power, maneuverability, accuracy, and speed while not affecting anyone mentally or physically?"

"That's the story." said Renton.

"Strangest thing I've ever seen." Holland replied. "And you four didn't feel in danger at all?"

"Negative sir." replied Dominic.

"I see." said Holland. "Alright, I'll go over the reports with Talho and Mischa and try to figure this whole thing out. I don't believe Mischa will do any testing since what happened didn't effect any of you at all, but be prepared if she does."

"Ok Holland." Eureka replied. "Anything else?"

"No that's all." he replied. "You're all free for the rest of the day, but are still on call. So be ready for anything. Dismissed."

"Roger." they all replied and left the room.

"What the hell is going on here." Holland muttered to himself after the group left. "This was bigger than the seventh swell effect, and the amita drive wasn't even used. How are those two LFO's connected?" He then hung his head and said "Well, I better go give the reports to Talho and Mischa. I bet they're gonna love this." He then got up, walked out of their room and headed towards the bridge.

While Holland headed towards the bridge, the two young couples went to the dining room to get some lunch. The battle they just had worked up a little bit of an appetite in all of them.

"So Eureka, what do you think of the whole situation?" asked Anemome as they sat down to eat.

"I'm not sure." she replied. "I didn't think the LFO's would react like that."

"Yeah, it is strange." Renton continued. "and that wasn't with the amita drive activated either."

"But doesn't that activate automatically?" asked Dominic.

"No, only when we pull up on the compact drives lever does it activate." Eureka replied.

"I see." he replied. "So the full power of the Nirvash was never used."

"Exactly." said Renton.

"I wonder what would have happened if you did then." said Anemone.

"I don't know." Renton replied. "and we're not going to find out anytime soon. Lets get used to this level of power first before we do anything."

"Agreed." said Dominic. "It wouldn't make any sense to put ourselves in any danger, especially with Eureka being pregnant and all."

"Dominic, you getting soft on me?" asked Anemone jokingly and with a giggle.

"No, I'm just saying." he replied.

"It's ok, thanks Dominic." said Renton with a laugh.

"Yes, thank you for caring Dominic." Eureka replied.

"Anytime you two." said Dominic. "I feel I owe it to you after you helped show Anemone what caring and love was all about. If it wasn't for that, me and her wouldn't be here with each other right now."

"Dominic, she already knew what all of that was." Eureka replied. "We just had to show her that she couldn't give up on it, that there was always hope that she would be with you again."

"Well, I still think I owe you for it."

"You don't owe us a thing, Dominic." Renton replied. "Just you two being our friends is all the thanks we need."

"Thanks you two."

"Your welcome Dominic." Eureka replied.

"So, do you two have anything else planned for the rest of the day?" asked Anemone.

"The usual." said Renton.

"The usual?" Dominic replied.

"That means spending time with ourselves and the children." Eureka replied.

"Is there a chance that we can join you so we can get to know the kids?" asked Anemone.

"Sure, I'm sure they'll like that." said Eureka. "What do you think Renton?"

"I think it's fine, dear." he replied. "It'll be a good experience for you two."

"Great!!" said Anemone enthusiastically. "Where would they be right now?"

"One of many places." said Renton with a laugh. "But the most likely places are either in the lounge playing or spending time with Hilda."

"Well, lets finish eating and find them! I'm dying to get to know them!" said Anemone.

"Ok, let's hurry and go then." said Renton. The group then finished their lunch and went to go look for the kids.

Meanwhile at a rebel military base, word of the squadrons defeat soon spread like wildfire.

"BUT HOW?!" We had them outnumbered by ten LFO units compared to their four LFO's and the ship! There shouldn't have been any way for them to defeat us!" said lietenant Jensen.

"I understand that sir." replied captain Jonston. "But they ran into two LFO's we weren't planning on."

"Just two?" asked Jensen.

"Yes sir. One seemed to resemble the type zero, the other unknown sir. It must have been built by the federation without us knowing." Jonston replied.

"They type zero has returned?"

"It seems that way sir."

"And the federation has a new LFO and it also flies with the Gekkostate?"

"Yes lieutenant."

"Hmmm, this was definitely something we didn't plan on." he replied.

"No sir." Jonston replied. "The two units are going to prove to a problem sir."

"I see that." said Jensen. "Well, do we know where the Gekkostate went?"

"Negative sir. They left the area shortly after the battle and haven't been seen on any of our radars since."

"Alright then. Have any patrol units that are available get up in the air and keep an eye out for them. Most likely they went back to federation airspace to get either refueled or resupplied. And if or when they come back, we'll be ready for them."

"Yes sir!" said Jonston. He then went out to the bases barracs and Hangars to give all the pilots their orders.

Back on the Gekko, the two young couples were having a hard time finding the kids. Apparently they were no where to be found.

"Where could they be?" asked Renton. "We've been all over this ship and still can't find them."

"I know, it's strange. We even checked with Holland and Talho in their room and they weren't there either." said Eureka.

"We checked their room right?"

"Yes, twice." she replied. It was then that Dominic and Anemome came walking up the hallway. "Any luck you two?"

"No." said Anemone. "It's like they know we're looking for them."

"I'd say." said Dominic. "My legs are killing me from all the walking. It was then that Rentons eyes lit up and got large.

"Guys, follow me. I think I know where they are, but you have to be quiet." The three then headed down the hall to Dominic and Anemone's quarters.

"But why?" asked Dominic in a whisper.

"They like hiding in places that they think we'd never look." Renton replied. "and since you two are new, you wouldn't think they'd hide in your room."

"I see." said Dominic with a smile.

"Ok, on the count of three, we rush in, ok?" The three nodded in agreement with large smiles on their faces. "Ok then, one, two, three, NOW!! And the four rushed into the room finding the kids hiding on the far side of the bed on the floor.

"Got you children!" said Eureka with a laugh.

"Awww, mom." they all replied laughing and giggling.

"Well, I guess you were right Renton." said Dominic.

"You just have to know them." Renton replied. "You'll figure that out soon enough."

"I guess so." Dominic replied with a laugh as he watched Anemone and Eureka goof off and play with the kids on their bed.

The rest of the day was spent playing and spending time with the kids so that Anemone and and Dominic could get to know them. By the end of the evening, the young couple were just plain worn out from all the running around that they did just to keep up with them. They couldn't believe all the energy that those kids had. When the two got to their room at the end of the night, they finally realized what it was like having kids around on the ship.

"That was great!!" said Anemone as they got ready for bed. "I've never had so much fun!"

"It was awesome wasn't it?" he replied. "I guess having kids around isn't so bad after all."

"No it isn't. I really enjoyed it."

"Almost makes me want to have kids now." Dominic replied.

"Really?" said Anemone with anxious eyes.

Dominic then laugh for a few seconds and said "Yeah, really."

"When?" she asked.

"Not sure yet. But when we're sure that we're ready to handle it, then we'll try."

"Thank you Dominic, you have no idea how happy that makes me."

"No problem dear. Now lets get some sleep. We had a long day and I'm totally tuckered out."

"Alright. See you in the morning?"

"Always." he replied with a smile. They then gave each other a slow good nights kiss and fell into a deep, comfortable sleep.

Chapter 9- the new federation army

A week later after the battle, the Gekkostate landed back at the Tresor research facilities to make any necessary repairs after the battle since the ship took some moderate hits. Any upgrades to the ship and the LFO units were also done while they took care of restocking on supplies like weapons, food, and other things that were needed for everyday living. They also got in contact with captain Jurgens to tell him about the recent attack on them.

"So they finally made the first move eh?" said Jurgens

"Yeah and unfortunately it was against us when we were least expecting it." Talho replied.

"Are you guys ok though?" asked Jurgens.

"Yeah we're fine. We got some moderate damage from what we can tell so far but that's about it." said Holland.

"That's good. Are Anemone and Dominic doing ok over there?" asked Jurgens.

"Yeah they're doing good so far. It's a good thing you sent them here." said Talho.

"Why's that?" asked Jurgens.

"You wouldn't believe us if we told you." Holland replied.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah really." said Holland. "Anyways, is there any way we can set up a meeting with you sometime?"

"Sure. Where are you guys located at right now?"

"We're landed at Tresor facilities for supplies and repairs. We may be here for a few days but we're not sure yet." Talho replied.

"Roger that. Is there anything else I need to know at this time?"

"Not at the moment." said Holland. "We do have a piece of news for you, but we'll tell you about it when you get here. How long will it be before you are able to get here?"

"Possibly a few days yet. I've gotten some reports of rebel activity that I need to check out first before I do anything."

"Roger that." said Holland. "We'll lay low here for now. The ship is in the hangar locked up and secure so we won't be seen."

"Alright good job." said Jurgens. "We'll see you in a few days then. Izumo out."

"Gekko out." Holland replied and the radio went silent.

"Looks like we'll be here for a bit." said Talho who was standing behind him.

"Looks that way." Holland replied. "Better let the crew know. Have them meet us in the lounge in ten minutes."

"Roger that." she replied. She then got onto the paging system to tell the crew to meet them there. While she did this, Holland started walking towards the lounge to start the meeting. Ten minutes later everyone was in the lounge waiting for the meeting to begin.

"Everyone, it looks like we'll be here for a little bit due to repairs and upgrades that have to be done to both the ship and the LFO's. Also, I have set up a meeting with Jurgens over the radio in three days. We'll continue to lay low until then. We are also going to make it official from here on out- We're going to join up with the new federation army."

"What!?" said Matthieu.

"You're kidding!" Hilda replied.

"That's impossible!" said Hap. "When was this decision made?"

"A while ago." Holland replied. "Don't you remember?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry. I totally forgot about that day."

"It's alright." Holland replied.

"Does that mean we have to start going by rank now?" asked Renton. Holland laughed for a few seconds and said "No, things will stay the same as before, maybe just a little stricter, that's all."

"Ok, that I can handle." Renton replied with a laugh.

"Anyways, everyone will be helping with loading up the supplies. The staff here at Tresor will be handling the repairs and upgrades, so don't worry about helping them unless they ask." said Holland.

"Also, we'll be working in shifts since it won't hopefully take too long to re-supply." said Talho. "So don't rush yourselves. It'll take longer to do the repairs than anything else."

"So anyways, you all get some downtime to yourselves. Be grateful you got it. Also, you all have orders to stay on base in either the hangars or the barracks or the main building since we don't want to be seen by any rebel forces." Holland continued.

"Roger that." they all replied.

"Alright then, dismissed."

"Ok everyone, let's go. We have a lot of work to do." said Hilda.

"Awwww." everyone groaned as they all got up. They all knew too well how much work was waiting for them.

For the next several days after that, the work load was bigger than Talho and Holland had expected. They hadn't realized how much that the Gekko needed after all. At the end of the last supply day, everyone was thoroughly exhausted and worn out, especially since they all had to work around all the repair and technical crews. Anemone and Dominic felt it the worst, since they never had to re-supply a ship before. By the time they were done, they were both ready to collapse.

"Ok everyone, that's enough." said Holland. "We're done here. We still have a few more days yet for repairs, so let the tech's handle that. Take the next few days off, but don't leave the barracks or hangars. Dismissed!"

"Hooray!!" they all yelled as they ran out of the ship.

"Wow, I've never seen them run so fast." said Talho while she laughed.

"Can't say I blame them." Holland replied. "But we have work to do ourselves- Jurgens is waiting for us."

"Alright, lets go." said Talho. Several minutes later, they were in the main meeting room of the Tresor facility. Jurgens was sitting there waiting for them with his co-captain by his side.

"Jurgens." said Holland. "Good to see you again. I just wish it was under better circumstances."

"Yeah no kidding." Jurgens replied. "So, what did you want to meet with me about?"

"We're going to join you and the new federation army to fight off these new forces." said Holland. "We figured it was the only way we could stay ahead of them."

"I see." said Jurgens. "A perfectly fine request. I should be able to get it approved with no problems what so ever."

"That's good to hear." said Talho.

"Now about the new LFO. How is it responding to Anemone and Dominic?"

"Better than you could ever believe." Holland replied.

"And how is that?" asked Jurgens.

"Whenever it fights along the Nirvash's side, it responds to the compact drive of it and it then fights like it's one with it."

"How is that even possible?"

"We're not sure yet. We have yet to still figure that out. All we know is that it's an advantage to all of us."

"I see." Jurgens replied. "I won't ask any further on that one then. Now, how are the other two doing?"

"If you're meaning Renton and Eureka, we have to protect them with all our might now. Not only are they still the only hope that this world has, but they are also bringing in their own hope, their own little miracle." said Talho.

"You mean they're bearing a child!?" said Jurgens.

"Yes." said Talho. "Which is why we have to keep them as safe as possible now."

"Is it even possible with those two?" asked Jurgens.

"If it wasn't we wouldn't be telling you this." Holland replied.

"Alright then, I'll have a few LFO units from my squadron helping out at all times. If there's anything else you need, just let us know."

"Thanks Jurgens we will. We'll be here for a few more days yet due to the repairs and upgrades that we needed. We'll then be taking off from here and try to keep as much of the rebel alliance down as we can." Holland replied.

"You do that." said Jurgens. "They made the first strike and now it's our turn."

"Yes it is, and we're doing it for them." said Holland with determined eyes.

"And our world." said Talho.

"Alright then, I'll be seeing you two soon enough then. Go and get some rest. It looks like you could use it."

"Thanks Jurgens, we will." said Talho. They all then left the room afterwards.

Later on in the barracks, everyone had chosen to take a room in there for the night since it was too loud on the ship due to all the repairs that were being done. But since it was still early in the evening, they all decided to hang out in the lounge of the ship anyways.

"Man, I almost forgot what relaxing felt like." said Hilda with a laugh.

"No kidding, it feels great believe me." Anemone replied.

"You two looked like you were ready to drop dead after we got done." said Hap.

"Close to it." Dominic replied. "One more box and you would've been picking me up off the floor."

"I'll second that opinion." said Anemone with a giggle.

"Well, speaking of relaxing, where are Renton and Eureka?" asked Talho. "I haven't seen them in a while."

"The last time I checked on them they were in their room sleeping like babies." Hilda replied.

"They're able to sleep in all this noise? How is that possible?" asked Matthieu.

"It's not that hard when you're that comfortable with each other." Talho replied.

"I guess not." said Hilda. "It must be nice."

"We'll leave them be." said Holland. "Those two deserve some quiet time to themselves."

"Yeah I guess we can keep it down for them. Especially for Eureka. I mean, it's bad enough she has to work in her condition let alone fight in the Nirvash." said Hilda.

"True." Anemone replied. "I'm sure Renton worries about her quite a bit also."

"It worries all of us." said Talho. "Which is why we're trying to protect those two and keep them safe while they're with us."

"Exactly." Hilda replied. "Without them, there is no future or world for us out there."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Dominic.

"Pretty sure." Holland replied. "If that's not true, then all the better. But right now we're not willing to take that chance."

"Yeah I guess that's understandable after the second summer of love incident." said Dominic.

"Yes it is." Holland replied. "But anyways, we should all go to the barracks and get some rest. It's been a long day and I'm sure all of you could use some sleep. So lets get to our rooms and we'll start out fresh tomorrow morning ok?"

"Roger." they all replied. They all then left the Gekko and went to their rooms in the barracks for the night.

The next morning, Eureka and Renton were woken up by the sounds of industry as the repairs and upgrades were on their final leg to being completed. The noise in Renton's opinion was loud enough to wake the dead.

"Oh man, what a headache. Now I know we should've stayed in the barracks last night." he muttered to himself.

"Renton, dear, are you ok?" Eureka asked with a worried look on her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just a small headache that's all. A couple of aspirin will take care of it with no problem."

"Ok, that's good." she replied softly. The expression on her face then went from a worried one to that of a person who was well rested. "Did you sleep ok though?"

"Yeah I slept great other than the wakeup call we got." Renton replied.

"Me too." she replied. "How about we get dressed and head down to the dining hall in the main building to get some breakfast?"

"Sounds good to me." he replied. "I'm starving anyways."

"Sounds good to me also." Eureka replied. All of a sudden as she sat there on their bed her eyes got wide and her hand covered her mouth. She then got up and ran to the bathroom and slammed the door. About ten minutes later, she finally emerged looking a little worn out, but fine otherwise.

"Morning sickness hit you a little hard this time?" asked Renton.

"Yeah but I'm fine." she replied. "Are you ready to go then?"

Renton laughs and says "Yeah I am but you're not yet." Eureka then looked down and realized that she still had her nightgown on.

"Oh, sorry." she said with a smile. "I totally forgot about that."

"It's ok Eureka. I'll wait for you, no hurry." Renton replied.

"Ok I'll be ready shortly." she replied. She then got her clothes out for the day and went into the bathroom to get changed.

A little while later, the young couple arrived at the facilities dining hall. To their surprise, everyone was already up and eating.

"Good morning you two." said Hilda. "How was your night on the ship?"

"Great." said Eureka.

"Yeah, other than the noise this morning." said Renton.

"We could have warned you about that." Talho replied. "But you two looked so cute sleeping there that we left you alone."

"Well next time don't ok?" said Renton with a laugh.

"Don't worry next time we'll come in there and wake you up with horns blaring." Holland replied laughing.

"Yeah, right." said Renton. "Anyways, when will all the work be done?"

"Well, if we're lucky, it'll actually be today. Things are going better than we had planned." Talho replied.

"That's good." said Eureka.

"In a way yes, in another no." said Dominic.

"And why is that?" asked Eureka.

"Because, Eureka, after we take off from here, we'll be in constant battle from that point on."

"Against the rebels I'm guessing." Renton replied.

"Yes." said Holland. "But we're now joined with the New Federation Army, so we have allies with us at all times."

"Along with some extra LFO units that will be us in each different patrol section that we go through." said Talho. "So you two along with the ship will be protected at all times."

"Thanks, you guys, for everything." said Renton.

"No problem." said Holland. "Ok then, everyone hurry up and finish your breakfasts. We're going back to the ship to help finish the repairs and upgrades. We are launching today!!"

"Roger!" they all replied. They all then finished their breakfast and headed back to the ship to help take care of the final details on the repairs and upgrades.


	9. The New Federation Army

-1Chapter 9- the new federation army

A week later after the battle, the Gekkostate landed back at the Tresor research facilities to make any necessary repairs after the battle since the ship took some moderate hits. Any upgrades to the ship and the LFO units were also done while they took care of restocking on supplies like weapons, food, and other things that were needed for everyday living. They also got in contact with captain Jurgens to tell him about the recent attack on them.

"So they finally made the first move eh?" said Jurgens

"Yeah and unfortunately it was against us when we were least expecting it." Talho replied.

"Are you guys ok though?" asked Jurgens.

"Yeah we're fine. We got some moderate damage from what we can tell so far but that's about it." said Holland.

"That's good. Are Anemone and Dominic doing ok over there?" asked Jurgens.

"Yeah they're doing good so far. It's a good thing you sent them here." said Talho.

"Why's that?" asked Jurgens.

"You wouldn't believe us if we told you." Holland replied.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah really." said Holland. "Anyways, is there any way we can set up a meeting with you sometime?"

"Sure. Where are you guys located at right now?"

"We're landed at Tresor facilities for supplies and repairs. We may be here for a few days but we're not sure yet." Talho replied.

"Roger that. Is there anything else I need to know at this time?"

"Not at the moment." said Holland. "We do have a piece of news for you, but we'll tell you about it when you get here. How long will it be before you are able to get here?"

"Possibly a few days yet. I've gotten some reports of rebel activity that I need to check out first before I do anything."

"Roger that." said Holland. "We'll lay low here for now. The ship is in the hangar locked up and secure so we won't be seen."

"Alright good job." said Jurgens. "We'll see you in a few days then. Izumo out."

"Gekko out." Holland replied and the radio went silent.

"Looks like we'll be here for a bit." said Talho who was standing behind him.

"Looks that way." Holland replied. "Better let the crew know. Have them meet us in the lounge in ten minutes."

"Roger that." she replied. She then got onto the paging system to tell the crew to meet them there. While she did this, Holland started walking towards the lounge to start the meeting. Ten minutes later everyone was in the lounge waiting for the meeting to begin.

"Everyone, it looks like we'll be here for a little bit due to repairs and upgrades that have to be done to both the ship and the LFO's. Also, I have set up a meeting with Jurgens over the radio in three days. We'll continue to lay low until then. We are also going to make it official from here on out- We're going to join up with the new federation army."

"What!?" said Matthieu.

"You're kidding!" Hilda replied.

"That's impossible!" said Hap. "When was this decision made?"

"A while ago." Holland replied. "Don't you remember?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry. I totally forgot about that day."

"It's alright." Holland replied.

"Does that mean we have to start going by rank now?" asked Renton. Holland laughed for a few seconds and said "No, things will stay the same as before, maybe just a little stricter, that's all."

"Ok, that I can handle." Renton replied with a laugh.

"Anyways, everyone will be helping with loading up the supplies. The staff here at Tresor will be handling the repairs and upgrades, so don't worry about helping them unless they ask." said Holland.

"Also, we'll be working in shifts since it won't hopefully take too long to re-supply." said Talho. "So don't rush yourselves. It'll take longer to do the repairs than anything else."

"So anyways, you all get some downtime to yourselves. Be grateful you got it. Also, you all have orders to stay on base in either the hangars or the barracks or the main building since we don't want to be seen by any rebel forces." Holland continued.

"Roger that." they all replied.

"Alright then, dismissed."

"Ok everyone, let's go. We have a lot of work to do." said Hilda.

"Awwww." everyone groaned as they all got up. They all knew too well how much work was waiting for them.

For the next several days after that, the work load was bigger than Talho and Holland had expected. They hadn't realized how much that the Gekko needed after all. At the end of the last supply day, everyone was thoroughly exhausted and worn out, especially since they all had to work around all the repair and technical crews. Anemone and Dominic felt it the worst, since they never had to re-supply a ship before. By the time they were done, they were both ready to collapse.

"Ok everyone, that's enough." said Holland. "We're done here. We still have a few more days yet for repairs, so let the tech's handle that. Take the next few days off, but don't leave the barracks or hangars. Dismissed!"

"Hooray!!" they all yelled as they ran out of the ship.

"Wow, I've never seen them run so fast." said Talho while she laughed.

"Can't say I blame them." Holland replied. "But we have work to do ourselves- Jurgens is waiting for us."

"Alright, lets go." said Talho. Several minutes later, they were in the main meeting room of the Tresor facility. Jurgens was sitting there waiting for them with his co-captain by his side.

"Jurgens." said Holland. "Good to see you again. I just wish it was under better circumstances."

"Yeah no kidding." Jurgens replied. "So, what did you want to meet with me about?"

"We're going to join you and the new federation army to fight off these new forces." said Holland. "We figured it was the only way we could stay ahead of them."

"I see." said Jurgens. "A perfectly fine request. I should be able to get it approved with no problems what so ever."

"That's good to hear." said Talho.

"Now about the new LFO. How is it responding to Anemone and Dominic?"

"Better than you could ever believe." Holland replied.

"And how is that?" asked Jurgens.

"Whenever it fights along the Nirvash's side, it responds to the compact drive of it and it then fights like it's one with it."

"How is that even possible?"

"We're not sure yet. We have yet to still figure that out. All we know is that it's an advantage to all of us."

"I see." Jurgens replied. "I won't ask any further on that one then. Now, how are the other two doing?"

"If you're meaning Renton and Eureka, we have to protect them with all our might now. Not only are they still the only hope that this world has, but they are also bringing in their own hope, their own little miracle." said Talho.

"You mean they're bearing a child!?" said Jurgens.

"Yes." said Talho. "Which is why we have to keep them as safe as possible now."

"Is it even possible with those two?" asked Jurgens.

"If it wasn't we wouldn't be telling you this." Holland replied.

"Alright then, I'll have a few LFO units from my squadron helping out at all times. If there's anything else you need, just let us know."

"Thanks Jurgens we will. We'll be here for a few more days yet due to the repairs and upgrades that we needed. We'll then be taking off from here and try to keep as much of the rebel alliance down as we can." Holland replied.

"You do that." said Jurgens. "They made the first strike and now it's our turn."

"Yes it is, and we're doing it for them." said Holland with determined eyes.

"And our world." said Talho.

"Alright then, I'll be seeing you two soon enough then. Go and get some rest. It looks like you could use it."

"Thanks Jurgens, we will." said Talho. They all then left the room afterwards.

Later on in the barracks, everyone had chosen to take a room in there for the night since it was too loud on the ship due to all the repairs that were being done. But since it was still early in the evening, they all decided to hang out in the lounge of the ship anyways.

"Man, I almost forgot what relaxing felt like." said Hilda with a laugh.

"No kidding, it feels great believe me." Anemone replied.

"You two looked like you were ready to drop dead after we got done." said Hap.

"Close to it." Dominic replied. "One more box and you would've been picking me up off the floor."

"I'll second that opinion." said Anemone with a giggle.

"Well, speaking of relaxing, where are Renton and Eureka?" asked Talho. "I haven't seen them in a while."

"The last time I checked on them they were in their room sleeping like babies." Hilda replied.

"They're able to sleep in all this noise? How is that possible?" asked Matthieu.

"It's not that hard when you're that comfortable with each other." Talho replied.

"I guess not." said Hilda. "It must be nice."

"We'll leave them be." said Holland. "Those two deserve some quiet time to themselves."

"Yeah I guess we can keep it down for them. Especially for Eureka. I mean, it's bad enough she has to work in her condition let alone fight in the Nirvash." said Hilda.

"True." Anemone replied. "I'm sure Renton worries about her quite a bit also."

"It worries all of us." said Talho. "Which is why we're trying to protect those two and keep them safe while they're with us."

"Exactly." Hilda replied. "Without them, there is no future or world for us out there."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Dominic.

"Pretty sure." Holland replied. "If that's not true, then all the better. But right now we're not willing to take that chance."

"Yeah I guess that's understandable after the second summer of love incident." said Dominic.

"Yes it is." Holland replied. "But anyways, we should all go to the barracks and get some rest. It's been a long day and I'm sure all of you could use some sleep. So lets get to our rooms and we'll start out fresh tomorrow morning ok?"

"Roger." they all replied. They all then left the Gekko and went to their rooms in the barracks for the night.

The next morning, Eureka and Renton were woken up by the sounds of industry as the repairs and upgrades were on their final leg to being completed. The noise in Renton's opinion was loud enough to wake the dead.

"Oh man, what a headache. Now I know we should've stayed in the barracks last night." he muttered to himself.

"Renton, dear, are you ok?" Eureka asked with a worried look on her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just a small headache that's all. A couple of aspirin will take care of it with no problem."

"Ok, that's good." she replied softly. The expression on her face then went from a worried one to that of a person who was well rested. "Did you sleep ok though?"

"Yeah I slept great other than the wakeup call we got." Renton replied.

"Me too." she replied. "How about we get dressed and head down to the dining hall in the main building to get some breakfast?"

"Sounds good to me." he replied. "I'm starving anyways."

"Sounds good to me also." Eureka replied. All of a sudden as she sat there on their bed her eyes got wide and her hand covered her mouth. She then got up and ran to the bathroom and slammed the door. About ten minutes later, she finally emerged looking a little worn out, but fine otherwise.

"Morning sickness hit you a little hard this time?" asked Renton.

"Yeah but I'm fine." she replied. "Are you ready to go then?"

Renton laughs and says "Yeah I am but you're not yet." Eureka then looked down and realized that she still had her nightgown on.

"Oh, sorry." she said with a smile. "I totally forgot about that."

"It's ok Eureka. I'll wait for you, no hurry." Renton replied.

"Ok I'll be ready shortly." she replied. She then got her clothes out for the day and went into the bathroom to get changed.

A little while later, the young couple arrived at the facilities dining hall. To their surprise, everyone was already up and eating.

"Good morning you two." said Hilda. "How was your night on the ship?"

"Great." said Eureka.

"Yeah, other than the noise this morning." said Renton.

"We could have warned you about that." Talho replied. "But you two looked so cute sleeping there that we left you alone."

"Well next time don't ok?" said Renton with a laugh.

"Don't worry next time we'll come in there and wake you up with horns blaring." Holland replied laughing.

"Yeah, right." said Renton. "Anyways, when will all the work be done?"

"Well, if we're lucky, it'll actually be today. Things are going better than we had planned." Talho replied.

"That's good." said Eureka.

"In a way yes, in another no." said Dominic.

"And why is that?" asked Eureka.

"Because, Eureka, after we take off from here, we'll be in constant battle from that point on."

"Against the rebels I'm guessing." Renton replied.

"Yes." said Holland. "But we're now joined with the New Federation Army, so we have allies with us at all times."

"Along with some extra LFO units that will be us in each different patrol section that we go through." said Talho. "So you two along with the ship will be protected at all times."

"Thanks, you guys, for everything." said Renton.

"No problem." said Holland. "Ok then, everyone hurry up and finish your breakfasts. We're going back to the ship to help finish the repairs and upgrades. We are launching today!!"

"Roger!" they all replied. They all then finished their breakfast and headed back to the ship to help take care of the final details on the repairs and upgrades.


	10. The war begins

-1Chapter 10- the war begins

"Talho, are we ready to go?" asked Holland.

"Yes we are. All repairs and upgrades are complete. Re-supplying of weapons systems, food, and everyday items are done." said Talho. "We're ready to go whenever you are."

"That's good to hear." Holland replied. "Is everyone back on the ship and ready to go?"

"Not yet. A few of them are still getting a few last minute things done and ready. They should be here shortly."

"That's fine. Is Doggie at the controls?"

"Yes he is and he's ready to go."

"Alright, have him move the ship outside of the hangar for final inspection before we take off."

"Roger that. Anything else my dear husband?" Holland smirked at her last comment and said "No, that's all for now. Let's get ready for pre-flight. We'll be taking off shortly."

"Alright will do." Talho replied. Holland then looked at her and with a serious tone he asked "Are we even ready for this?"

"We have to be. We'd be in trouble if we weren't."

"Yeah I know. I'm just a little worried that's all."

"I think we all are Holland. But we'll make it through this just like we did before."

"I sure hope so." Holland replied as he looked off into the far mountain horizons with a determined look to his face.

Meanwhile on the ship, everyone had boarded and were making their last minute preparations before they left Tresor. Doggie was at the controls and had already moved the ship out of the hangar for final inspection. Holland and Talho were in the lounge with Dr.Morita going over the final paperwork with him before he left the ship. Renton and Eureka were checking on their kids to make sure they had everything they needed while they looked over the final details of the Nirvash. Gidget and Woz were on the bridge going over final flight checks, radar, and take off clearances. Hap was keeping tabs on the trapar while Ken-Goh was going over the weapons systems. Jobs was in the engine control room going over the systems down there while Hilda, Matthieu, Dominic, and Anemone were going over the final details on the rest of the LFO's along with Axel also since he was so picky about them. Soon enough, everyone on the ship was ready to go.

"Hap, how are those trapar counts looking?" asked Holland.

"Looking good." he replied.

"Engine room?"

"Flywheel is engaged. We can take off at any time." Jobs replied.

"How about radar?"

"No enemies in sight. We're good to go." said Woz

"What about clearance to take off?"

"Clearance confirmed! We can leave at any time!" said Gidget.

"Safety locks are all on. Weapons systems confirmed ok. We're good to go." said Ken-Goh.

"Roger that." said Holland. "Doggie, light the boosters! Let's start this war. If it's a battle they want it's a battle they get."

"Roger!" Doggie replied. He then lit the booster engines and the GekkoState left Tresor to start a battle that could either save the world or end it once and for all.

"You nervous Eureka?" asked Anemone. Her and Eureka were sitting in the lower lounge part of the cockpit watching the sky get closer as the ship gained altitude. Renton was in the dining hall with the kids while Dominic and Axel were in the hangar looking over the Venturion since Axel saw some flaws he didn't like.

"Yeah a little." Eureka replied as she held her hand over her stomach. Anemone noticed this right away and got a worried look on her face.

"Worried about the baby?"

"More scared than anything." Eureka replied. "I'm almost a month in already and I just don't want to have this child in the middle of a war."

"That's understandable." said Anemone.

"Totally." said Talho who came downstairs to join them. "Have you and Renton ever thought of where you want to have your baby?"

"No not really." Eureka replied. "I guess that subject never came up."

"Well if you did, what would you do?" asked Anemone.

"I would like to have it here with you guys here on the Gekko, but I would also like to be in Bellforest at home with Renton."

"Well, we could do both." said Talho.

"We can?" asked Eureka.

"Of course." Talho replied. "You can be at home with Renton in Bellforest and we can all be there with you at your side."

"Thanks Talho that would be nice." said Eureka. "Hey Talho, could you and Anemone be there in the room with me when the baby comes?"

"Sure." said Talho in a motherly tone. "I'd be honored."

"So would I." said Anemone.

"Thanks you two. I feel a whole lot better about this now. I guess I had better find Renton and tell him the news."

"You do that." said Talho. "We'll see you later then."

"Bye." said Eureka and she then went on her way to go find Renton.

"Hey Talho, do you think this war will be over by the time the baby comes?" asked Anemone.

"I hope so." Talho replied with a worried tone. "For her and Renton's sake."

Meanwhile, Renton had joined Dominic and Axel in the hangar to check on how the repairs to the Venturion were going.

"How's it coming Dominic?" asked Renton.

"Don't ask me, ask your grandfather." Dominic replied.

"Heh, that bad eh?" Renton replied with a hearty laugh.

"Quiet Renton. Comments like those are going to catch up with you one of these days." said Axel.

"Sorry grandpa. Is the Venturion done and ready to go?"

"Yeah, she's ready no thanks to the army. It should perform a lot better now."

"I hope so." said Dominic. Right after he said that, the ships warning alarm went off.

"Everyone to their ships and stations! A rebel base has been located ahead. Orders from the NFA are to go there and take it out. This is our first strike so let's make it look good." said Talho from the Paging system.

"Well, I guess we'll find out faster than we thought won't we?" said Renton.

"I suppose so." Dominic replied. "Let's load up!"

"Right!" said Renton. As he was climbing into the Nirvash, Eureka came running into the hangar.

"Renton, I have something important to tell you!!"

"You'll have to tell me later Eureka! Get in and get ready! We have orders from the military that we have to take care of first."

"Oh, ok." Eureka replied in sort of a sad tone as she got into the Nirvash.

"Anemone hurry up let's go!" said Dominic as she came running into the hangar.

"I'm coming already!!" she yelled as she climbed into the Venturion. Soon afterwards, Hilda, Matthieu, and Holland ran into the hangar and jumped into the 606, 808, and 909.

"Everyone, this is going to be a strike mission." said Holland over the radio. "Jurgens sent us the location of the base and we're to take it out. So take out any buildings, bunkers, weapons, and LFO's that they have."

"Roger!" they all replied.

"Alright then. Talho, open the catapult!"

"Right!" she replied. With the push of a button, the catapult lowered and they were ready to go.

"909 heading out!" Holland yelled and he jetted off the ship.

"808,606 launching now!" said Hilda and they left the ship.

"Nirvash, Venturion heading out!" said Renton and they launched off the ship.

"Alright everyone be careful. We don't know what we're up against out there." said Holland.

"Roger." they all replied.

At the same time, General Brady of the rebel army was sitting in his office going over paperwork when his bases warning alarm went off. "What the?" he said. He then got up to look out the window to see what was going on. As he did this, several huge explosions rocked the area.

"SIR!!" yelled a soldier who was running towards his office. "Several Federation LFO's are attacking the base! They've already taken out hangars one and two plus communications!"

"Do we know where they came from?"

"Negative sir!" the soldier replied. "All we know is that they have federation codes! That's all we were able to get before they knocked our communications out!"

"Dammit!" said Brady. "Alright then, try to get any remaining LFO's up in the air. Maybe then we'll have a fighting chance here!"

"Yes sir!" said the soldier and he ran out of the office to join the battle.

"I guess the federation army has finally reacted to our first attack. Humph, I guess they're bolder then I thought they were." He then looked out his window again and saw a sight he didn't plan on seeing. "Oh crap!" he yelled as he tried to run out of his office but it was too late. Hilda had taken out him and the building that he was trying to escape in one clean shot.

"The leaders building has been taken out!!" said Hilda over the radio.

"Good job." Holland replied. "Where are Renton and Eureka?"

"They're at our 10 o clock fighting off the remaining rebel LFO's!" said Matthieu.

"Roger that." Holland replied. "I'm going to go back them up. Finish off the base and then head back to the ship!"

"Roger." replied Matthieu and Hilda.

"Nirvash, you got one coming in from behind you!" said Dominic over the radio.

"Roger!" Renton replied. Before he could react to the incoming LFO, it had blown up in a brilliant explosion. "What the?" said Renton as he reacted to the explosion. A few seconds later, Holland came into view on his screen. "909, was that you?"

"Yeah it was. Sorry I'm late." Holland replied.

"It's alright. There's a few more left but it almost seems like they're retreating."

"Not if we can help it." said Holland. "Let's go!"

"Right!" they all replied.

"01, 05, 08, federation units in pursuit!" said unit 03. "Let's turn back and finish them……" and the radio went silent.

"Unit 03 has been taken out!" said unit 01.

"Where did these guys come from?" said unit 08. "It's like they appeared out of nowhere!"

"We don't know." said 05 as they dodged their attackers. "But they're….."

"05 is down!" said unit 01.

"Dammit!!" said 08. "That's it! Those federation scum are mine!!" He then turned his LFO around to take them on in a head on battle.

"08 NO!!!" said 01, but he was too late. He had made his decision. "Well, I'm not waiting around to get myself killed." 01 said to himself. He then took off into the opposite direction towards safety.

"Is this guy nuts?" said Holland as he watched the rebel LFO unit hurdle towards them. "Nirvash, look out!!"

"Right!" they replied. Quickly they dodged to the left but weren't quite fast enough. As they had swung to the left, the rebel unit was able to react and was able to deliver a full force blow to their midsection in a metal crunching crash. The impact was enough to knock the Nirvash off it's board and send it falling through the air.

"CRAP!!" yelled Holland. "Venturion, hurry up and catch them before they crash!! That rebel LFO unit is mine!"

"Roger!" yelled Anemone. They then dived down at full speed after the falling Nirvash.

"Nobody hurts my kids like that. NOBODY!!" yelled Holland as he took off after the rebel LFO. After several minutes of dodging and avoiding Holland's attacks, Holland was finally able to take out the remaining unit once and for all. "Nobody does that to my kids and gets away with it." said Holland to himself after he took the LFO out. He then quickly turned his attention back to the Nirvash. "Venturion, were you able to catch them?"

"Roger!" said Anemone. "But we're heading back to the ship in a hurry! They're not responding to us!"

"Crap!" said Holland. "Gekko, this is 909, do you copy?"

"909 we copy." Talho replied. "Holland what's wrong?"

"Nirvash got taken out in a head on collision with a rebel LFO unit and thrown off their board. Venturion recovered but they're not responding to anyone. Get Mischa ready along with anyone else that can help so we can get them into sick bay right away!"

"Roger that! We'll see you in the hangar in a few minutes!" and the radio went silent.

"Please be ok." said Holland quietly as the Gekko came into view.

Within a minute, all the ships were docked and secured into the hangar of the ship.

"Hurry up and let's get them out of there!" yelled Mischa.

"I'm trying!" said Talho as she jumped onto the Nirvash and tried to open the canopy. "Come on be ok." she said to herself as she went after Eureka. The stress of the situation was starting to bring tears to her eyes since her only daughter was stuck in there.

"Renton!" yelled Holland as he fought to get them out. "Man they're out cold!"

"Clear a path!" yelled Talho as she scooped Eureka into her arms.

"Let's go!" yelled Holland. They then ran up the stairs from the hangar and into Mishca's office with the young couple in their arms.

"Get them on the beds!" said Mischa as she got her equipment out. "I'll take care of them from here."

"Please do." said Talho. "Keep us posted on their conditions ok?"

"I will." Mischa replied. Talho and Holland then left her office so the young couple could be in Mischa's care. When they got into the hallway, Talho just broke down into tears.

"Why them? Especially with a baby on the way! It's just not fair to them with all that they've been through!" she cried.

Holland took his wife in his arms and said "I know how you're feeling Talho. All we can do for now is let Mischa take care of them and hope for the best."

"Yes I know but it still isn't fair." Talho replied. "The least I can do for them is to take care of their kids until they get better."

"That's fine." said Holland. "I'll help you out also. It's the only right thing for me to do."

"Thanks Holland. I suppose we had better go find them and tell them what happened to their parents. They'll be awfully upset."

"Yeah I know. But we can help them get through this, you'll see."

"That's true." said Talho. "Alright then, let's go find them."

A little bit later, Holland and Talho finally found the kids in their room going over their study guides since Eureka wanted them to continue their education.

"Hey kids." said Talho.

"Hi!!" they all replied.

"Uh, we have something to tell you guys about your parents." said Holland.

"What about mama and papa?" asked Maeter with a worried tone to her voice.

"What happened?" asked Maurice worryingly.

"Well, they got into a nasty accident with an enemy LFO and it knocked them off their ref board while knocking them out at the same time." said Holland calmly.

"No not our mama and papa!!" yelled Linck with tears in his eyes.

"Where are they?" asked Maurice in a concerned tone.

"With Mischa right now." Holland replied.

"Are they ok?" asked Maeter with tears in her eyes.

"We don't know yet dear." Talho replied. "Mischa will let us know in a little while."

"Can we see mama and papa?" asked Linck.

"Maybe in a little bit. Let Mischa take care of them first ok?"

"Ok." Linck replied in a depressed tone.

"Until then, we decided that we would watch over you guys until Renton and Eureka can do it on their own again."

"That's fine." said Maurice.

"So, you kids hungry at all?" asked Talho in a motherly tone.

"Yeah!!" said Linck and Maeter.

"How about you Maurice?"

"A little I guess." he replied.

"Well come on then. I'll make you all lunch. Maybe it'll help take your minds off things for a little bit."

"Thanks Talho." Maurice replied.

"For what Maurice?"

"For taking care of us while mama and papa can't."

"It's what we do." said Holland while he put a hand on Maurice's shoulder. "It's because we care about all of you. Now, let's go eat. I'm hungry!"

"Ok." Maurice replied with a smile. They then all headed to the dining room where Talho made lunch for them.

Several hours later day turned into night and there still wasn't any response from either Renton or Eureka. Holland had put Renton and Eureka's kids along with their own son to bed before he himself retired for the night. Talho had decided to sit in the infirmary all night with Renton and Eureka in order to give Mischa some rest since she looked like she needed it. As Talho looked and watched them lay there on the beds, tiredness slowly crept over her and she slowly fell asleep in the recliner chair that Mischa had put in there for her.

The following morning, Renton was the first one to stir and finally wake up. Talho heard this right away even though she was sleeping and jumped out of the chair to join him by his side.

"Eureka?" said Renton as he woke up.

"No Renton it's me Talho."

"Talho?"

"Yes Renton it's me."

"What happened?"

"You got into a nasty collision with a rebel LFO in the last battle. The hit took you out and the Venturion had to recover and carry you home."

"Where are we?"

"In the infirmary." Talho replied. "The hit you took knocked you both out. Me and Holland had to carry you two from the Nirvash to here. You've been out since before lunchtime yesterday."

"Knocked out?" said Renton slowly. Suddenly his eyes got wide and he yelled "EUREKA!!" as he tried to sit up.

"Lay still Renton she's ok." said Talho. "She's laying on the bed to the right of you." Renton then looked to his right and saw Eureka still sleeping on the bed next to him.

"Thank god." said Renton calmly. "Has she woken up yet?"

"No not yet but I'm sure she will soon enough."

"I hope so." Renton replied. "Geez, I hope our baby is ok."

"Yeah me too." Talho replied with a worried tone to her voice.

"Hey Talho, were you in here all night with us?"

"Yeah I was. Someone had to watch over you two."

"Were you able to sleep at all?"

"Yeah I was amazingly."

"That's good." said Renton softly. It was then that Mischa walked into the room.

"Good morning Talho." she said. "I hope you slept ok."

"Yeah I did thanks." Talho replied.

"Hi Mischa." said Renton quietly.

"I see you're finally awake." said Mischa. "What about Eureka?"

"No not yet. We're still waiting." said Talho.

"Ok that's fine." Mischa replied. "Have you tried waking her at all?"

"No I never thought of it. Do you want me to try?"

"If you could please." said Mischa. "I want to see if she'll react at all."

"Ok I'll give it a shot." Talho replied. She then went over to Eureka's bed to try to gently wake her up.

"Eureka, dear, it's your mother. Can you wake up for me?" Talho said softly as she gently rubbed her face with her hand. Amazingly, Eureka reacted to her touch.

"Talho?" said Eureka as she very slowly started waking up.

"Yes dear it's me."

"Where am I?"

"In the infirmary with Renton. You two took a nasty hit in that last battle."

"Renton, is he ok?"

"Yeah he is. He's awake in the bed next to you." Eureka looked to her left and saw Renton laying there looking at her.

"Hi Eureka." said Renton softly.

"Hi dear." she replied as she took her husbands hand.

"You two got lucky out there." said Mischa. "Other than bumps, bruises, and a couple of small concussions, you're both ok."

"What about our baby? Is it ok?" asked Eureka in a excited, worried tone.

"I don't know dear." Mischa replied. "How about we do an ultrasound and find out ok?" Mischa then pulled the machine to over by Eureka's bed and performed the ultrasound.

"Well, everything looks ok." said Mischa. "It's developing nicely by the way it looks and the heartbeat is normal."

"That's good to hear." said Eureka with a sound of relief in her voice.

"Do you want to see it?" asked Mischa.

"Sure!" said Eureka and Renton happily. Mischa then turned the screen so that they could see it.

"There's our child Renton." said Eureka softly and with a warm smile.

"Yeah, it feels great knowing it's ok." said Renton.

"I'm proud of you two for going through with it." said Talho. "You're going to make great parents."

"We already are." Renton replied.

"That is true." said Talho with a smile.

"Alright, everything looks good you two." said Mischa. "But I'm still putting you on bed rest for the next three days just to be safe. Talho, I'm putting you in charge of their care."

"Ok that's fine I've got it all taken care of." Talho replied. "Me and Holland already have their kids handled so I'm sure we can handle these two."

"Good." said Mischa. "Renton, Eureka, Head on off you your room then. It may be a little hard, but I'm sure you can make it."

"I'll be behind them so they'll be fine don't worry." said Talho. "So let's go you two."

"Ok, I'm looking forward to our own bed anyways." said Renton with a laugh. A few minutes later with some help from Talho, the two made it to their room and into their bed.

"Ok you're all settled then." said Talho. "You've got TV, radio, books, and magazines to keep you busy. I'll be keeping the door open so we can keep an eye on things with you two while we do our regular jobs.

"Ok thanks Talho." said Renton.

"No problem." Talho replied. "Now get some rest and we'll see you soon."

"Ok bye." said Eureka and Talho left the room. After she left, the young couple got under their covers, cuddled up close to each other, and fell into a nice peaceful sleep knowing that they were ok and out of harms way.


	11. The Recovery

-1Chapter 11- the recovery

"Ow! Man that still hurts." said Renton as Talho helped him move around a bit.

"It should with the hit that you two took." Talho replied. It had been a week since the incident from the last battle occurred, and Renton and Eureka were still recuperating from it. What Mischa thought would have only taken a few days to heal had taken a lot longer. Renton was walking around with a limp still and his pains from the accident were still pretty noticeable whenever he moved around. At times he was walking around with an improvised cane, but he rarely ever used it. This sometimes worried everyone even though he told them not to, but he knew it was only because they cared.

Eureka was a little worse for wear but she was healthy and ok otherwise. A few bruises still showed that were healing and her right arm was up in a sling for the time being because of pains that she was constantly getting from it. Mischa had decided to do that to see if it would help take some of the pain off other than meds and it worked better than she thought it would. Her pregnancy was monitored a lot more closely now since the accident on Talho's orders. They didn't want to take any more chances with her after what happened, so they put her on bi-weekly check ups for the time being to keep things in check. Eureka thought this was a big hassle, but she couldn't argue with either of the two.

The Nirvash was a different story. The damage that was caused by the accident and the sheer impact of it was more severe than what Axel had thought, but he still thanked it for protecting the kids and the baby they were carrying with them. He had fixed it to the best of his ability, but there was still a ton of parts he needed in order to finish it properly and have it battle ready again. All it was good for at the moment was either vehicle mode or maybe even jet plane mode if it was even that lucky. Any battles at this point in time would have just left it a sitting duck.

There had been several battles since that week, luckily none of them were that serious. Holland and the others were able to handle them with no problem, even though Eureka and Renton always had the urge to go out and help them. Talho or Mischa would always find a way to stop them in one way or another, but usually they would just send them to their room in order to continue their recovery. They didn't like that order at all, but it was only because of that order that they did it.

Maurice, Maeter, and Linck were happy to see that their parents were ok and not too badly harmed from the incident. Even though Mischa had put Talho in charge of their care, they were constantly at their parents sides getting them whatever they needed that they couldn't get. Renton and Eureka told them that they didn't have to, but they enjoyed helping them and loved the praise they got for working as hard as they did. The entire crew was proud of them for helping like they did. They could also tell that in a way, the kids were finally growing up.

"Hey Renton, Eureka, how are you two doing?" asked Anemone one day while she delivered their lunch to them.

"We're good thanks." said Renton.

"Well that's good to hear." Anemone replied.

"What do you have there Anemone?" asked Eureka.

"Oh, sorry, it's your lunches. Hilda had me bring them down to your room for you."

"We could've gotten them ourselves if someone had told us it was lunchtime." Eureka replied.

"That's what I told them, but they wouldn't have any of it." said Anemone with a slight laugh.

"Go figure." Renton chuckled. "Sometimes I think they worry too much."

"Anyways, what have you two been doing lately?" Anemone asked.

"Let's see. Reading, watching TV, sleeping, listening to the radio, and whatever else we can do to keep ourselves occupied."

"Boy, sounds more like you're bored."

"In a sense yes." said Renton with a laugh. "Anyways, how is the Nirvash doing?"

"Not good at the moment." Anemone replied. "The damage that was done was more severe than first thought. Axel needs more parts before he can have it fully functional again."

"I see." said Eureka. "Does that mean we have to go back to Tresor again?"

"No Eureka, Axel is having the parts delivered here to the ship so that we don't have to land again."

"That's good. Is Dr.Morita coming along?"

"Yeah he is along with a small crew to help finish the Nirvash."

"That's good." Said Renton. "How long will it be before they get here?"

"A few days yet." said Anemone. "Ever since we took out that first rebel base over a week ago their activity has really increased. They're really on the warpath now."

"What does that have to do with Tresor?"

"Well, it's been hard for them to get some of the parts in since some of the supply ships have been getting hijacked along the way. But now that they have everything they need, getting them to the ship safely is going to be the hardest part."

"I see." Eureka replied. "Well please make sure we do. Me and Renton would like to see the Nirvash be happy again."

"We will." said Anemone. "Anyways I better get going. Me and Dominic have to go over the last few battle reports with Ken-Goh."

"Alright have fun!" said Renton.

"Yeah, right." Anemone replied with a laugh. "See you later."

"Bye." said Eureka and Anemone left the room.

"Well I hope Morita and the crew he's bringing get here safely and in one piece." said Renton as they ate their lunch.

"Me too." Eureka replied. "It would be nice to be able to fly with her again."

"Yeah it would wouldn't it?" said Renton. "Hey! I just got a crazy idea!"

"And what's that Renton?" asked Eureka.

"I know it may be a bad one, but how about we take a trip after she's done? We never got to go on a honeymoon after the wedding and I think it would be nice if we did."

"But that would get us in trouble Renton!" Eureka replied. "We can't do that to the Gekko now. Especially in the middle of this war."

"Yeah I know. I just thought it would be a good idea that's all."

"It is Renton, just not at this point in time. After the war would be better for the both of us."

"Yeah true." said Renton as he finished his lunch.

"Well, if we do go on a honeymoon, where would we go?" asked Eureka.

"I'd like to say someplace secluded and quiet, like a mountain cabin or something. A place where there's no one around and we can be in peace."

"Sounds nice." said Eureka.

"Yeah it does. It almost sounds like someplace we could live someday."

"Maybe, but Bellforest is still home to me." Eureka replied.

"Yeah it is isn't it?"

"But maybe in the future if our family is big enough, we can find that home we dream about and live our lives quietly together."

"But until then I'm happy where I'm at." Eureka replied.

"Yeah so am I."

"So, now that lunch is over, what shall we do next?" asked Eureka.

"Oh I can think of something. The door is shut and we're all alone." said Renton with a mischievous look on his face.

"Oh Renton." said Eureka with a giggle.

Four days later, Morita and his crew finally arrived aboard the Gekkostate. He was in utter shock to see how bad of condition that the Nirvash was in.

"Axel, why didn't you tell me that the damage was this bad?" asked Morita.

"I thought I had." Axel replied.

"Yeah but you didn't tell me it was to this extent!"

"Is it still fixable?"

"Well of course with the team that I brought."

"How much time will it take?" asked Holland from the background. Morita then turned to look at him and said "It'll take at least a week if you want it done right, possibly two."

Holland let out a heavy sigh and said "That's fine, but I'll guarantee that there will be interruptions along the way, so be ready for them."

"Understood." Morita replied. "Alright men, let's get to work!"

"Hey Holland what's up with all the noise?" asked Eureka. Her and Renton were out and about walking around with the kids when they ran into him.

"Oh hey guys. Dr.Morita and his crew have finally arrived. They got to work on the Nirvash almost right after they got here."

"That's great." said Renton.

"When will she be done?" asked Eureka.

"Well, Morita said a week at the least, possibly two if we don't have too many interruptions." Holland Replied.

"The damage to the Nirvash was that bad huh?" said Renton.

"I suppose so." said Holland. "But hang in there, the time will go faster than you think."

"I hope so." Eureka replied. "Hey, was Sonia with them?"

"Not that I saw, but you're more than welcome to check."

"Great! Let's go Renton!" said Eureka. She then grabbed his hand and pulled him down the hallway. Holland just smirked and continued on his way.

"Dr.Morita!!" Yelled Renton as they entered the hangar.

"Hey Renton! I heard you two were back in town!"

"Yeah we are." said Renton with a laugh.

"Is Sonia with you?" asked Eureka.

"By a chance yes she is." said Morita. "Sonia, I have a couple of people here who want to say hi to you!"

"Hi Eureka and Renton!" said Sonia as she walked up to the young couple.

"Hey Sonia!" Eureka replied.

"How are you two doing?"

"We're great thank you." Said Renton.

"That's good." said Sonia. "So, how is life treating you two?"

"Well, you'd be surprised Sonia." said Renton.

"Why would you say that?"

"Well Sonia, me and Renton are having a baby!" Eureka replied happily.

"That's impossible!!"

"If it was they wouldn't be telling you." said Mischa from in behind Renton and Eureka.

"Did you let this happen to them Mischa?" asked Sonia.

"I can't stop them Sonia. They are married you know."

"They're married too!?" Sonia yelled. "When did this happen?"

"Almost two and a half months ago." said Renton.

"And how far along is Eureka?"

"About a month and a half."

"That's amazing! Mischa, are you running any tests on them at all on this?"

"No I'm not. Holland and Talho absolutely forbid me to do anything. They want her pregnancy to be as undisturbed as possible other than regular check-ups."

"I see." Sonia replied. "Well, I had better get back to work. Eureka, it was good seeing you and Renton again. We'll see you both later ok?"

"Ok bye Sonia." said Eureka.

"Eureka, could you come with me please? It's time for one of your check-ups." said Mischa.

"Ok." Eureka replied. "Are you coming Renton?"

"Sure why not." he replied. "It is our child you know."

"Hey momma!" said the kids as the young couple was walking along.

"Hey kids." said Eureka softly.

"Where are you and papa going momma?" asked Linck.

"To Mischa's office to check on our baby."

"Can we come along momma?" asked Maeter.

"Sure." Eureka replied softly.

"Well, it's going extremely well Eureka." said Mischa. "You're doing everything right so far. Here's an ultrasound picture of the baby for you and Renton. It'll be a good memento for you to have. Just make sure you frame it when you get the chance."

"Thank you Mischa." Eureka replied.

"Let me see momma!!" yelled Linck.

"Here it is children, that's our new baby." said Eureka as she showed them all the picture of the ultrasound.

"Cool." said the kids in unison.

"How much longer until the baby gets here momma?" asked Maeter.

"About seven and half months Maeter." Renton replied.

"It takes that long?"

"Yes it does Maeter. It usually takes about nine months for a baby to be born."

"That's a long time momma." said Linck.

"Yes it is." Eureka replied softly and with a smile.

"I'm proud of you kids for being so supportive of your mother." said Renton. "Especially you Maurice."

"Why is that Renton?" asked Maurice.

"Because of the way you have grown up and matured into a nice young man, you have really given Maeter and Linck someone to look up to."

"Thanks Renton." Maurice replied with a smile.

"Anytime son." said Renton.

"Well, who's hungry?" asked Eureka.

"We are!!!" yelled Linck and Maeter.

"How about you Renton and Maurice?"

"Yeah a little for me." Renton replied.

"Yeah I am." said Maurice.

"Well, lets go to the dining hall and get some supper." said Eureka as they walked out of Mischa's office. "Afterwards we can go back to our room and continue taking it easy until Mischa clears us since we have plenty of time until the Nirvash is ready."

"Yeah but I think our recovery is complete in my opinion other than a few bruises that are healing." Renton replied.

"But orders are orders dear." said Eureka.

"Yes I know." he replied with a gentle smile. They then took each others hands and followed their kids to the dining hall for a long awaited family dinner.


	12. The Dream

-1Chapter 12- the dream

'_The air is cool and crisp out here. The smell of it is soft and sweet from all the flowers and trees that are growing around us. The sun is shining brightly and there's hardly a cloud in the sky. The view around the area is amazing with the white capped mountains that surround us. And there stands Eureka, watching as our kids play in the front of our new home while holding our new baby in her arms. Wearing a yellow short sleeved shirt, blue jeans, and tennis shoes, she looks like any other person out there other than her wings, which in my opinion add to her natural beauty. She's one of the most beautiful people I have ever loved, and nothing will change that. She then turns and looks at me with a warm caring smile and says "Renton."_

"Renton!!"

"Huh, what?"

"Pay attention to what you're doing!" yelled Holland. Him and Holland had taken the 606 and the 808 out with Eureka and Talho for a grocery run when Renton started veering the 606 way off course due to his daydreaming.

"Oh crap!!" Renton yelled. He then reacted by turning the 606 and getting them back on course.

"What were you doing? Daydreaming over there?" said Talho.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Renton replied.

"It's ok. Just don't do it again alright?"

"Roger that. I'll try not to."

"Please see that you don't." Holland replied and the radio went silent. Renton then let out a heavy sigh and went back to concentrating on his flying.

"Hey Renton are you ok?" asked Eureka who was sitting behind him.

"Yeah I'm fine. I was just daydreaming and thinking that's all. But unfortunately I lost track of what I was doing as I did."

"What were you thinking about?"

"Our future family." Renton replied. Eureka smiled and blushed a bit at his response while she held her hand over her stomach. "What did you see?"

"You, the kids, our new home with our baby in your arms."

"Were you able to see what we had?"

"No, but I think I want to keep it a surprise."

"A surprise?"

"Yeah. You know, we wait until the baby is born to find out what we had together."

"That sounds nice." Eureka replied.

"Yeah it does. Anyways we should be back on the Gekko soon. It just came up on the radar."

"Roger." she replied.

Fifteen minutes later, the 606 and the 808 were landed and secured back onto the ship. The hangar was still a mess from the work that had continued on the Nirvash over the last ten days, causing them on occasion to hit things here and there whenever they landed.

"Man I appreciate what they're doing, but they sure are making a mess." said Talho.

"Yeah no kidding." Holland replied.

"When do you think they'll be done?" asked Renton.

"Not sure yet but hopefully soon." Talho replied as they tried to walk over and around the mess of supplies and tools.

"Do you guys want any help?" asked Hilda from the top of the stairs as she stood there and smiled.

"It'd be nice." said Talho. Right after she said that all you could see was a mess of food go flying through the air as Talho tripped and fell to the floor. "Ow that hurt!! Now I will be glad when they're gone!" she said in a frustrated tone.

"Are you ok?" asked Hilda as she came running downstairs.

"Yeah I am but I'm not so sure about the groceries." Talho replied as she got up off the floor.

"Actually it looks like all you had were the dry goods, so I think we're ok."

"Thank god for that." Talho replied as she brushed herself off.

"Anyways, where is Morita and his crew? Why aren't they working?" asked Holland.

"They're on their lunch break in the dining hall." Hilda replied. "By the way Renton and Eureka, how did it feel to be able to fly again?"

"It was great." Eureka replied. "It's nice to finally be cleared to fly again."

"Yeah. It's nice not sitting around on the ship anymore." said Renton with a laugh.

"Yeah I bet." said Hilda with a chuckle.

A little bit later after all the groceries were put away, Holland tracked down Morita so he could get an update on their progress.

"So when can we expect the Nirvash to be done doc?" asked Holland.

"Either later today or early tomorrow morning." Morita replied.

"Good." said Holland. "Talho tripped over some of your stuff earlier trying to carry our groceries inside."

"Sorry about that. Usually we're never that messy."

"That's ok. Thanks for the help though."

"No problem Holland. It's what we do. Now I had better get back down to the hangar before everyone starts to wonder where I'm at."

"Alright we'll catch you later then." Holland replied. Morita then turned and started walking towards the hangar.

"Hey Holland!" yelled Eureka as he started towards the ships store.

"Hey Eureka. Do you need something?" Asked Holland.

"Yeah. Have you see Renton at all lately?"

"Not since before lunchtime why?"

"Oh just wondering. How is the Nirvash?"

"Morita said that she'll be done either later today or sometime tomorrow morning."

"Great! I'm going to go find Renton and tell him myself!" Holland laughed a second and said "You go ahead and do that. I have to go to the ships store for a few things anyways. So I'll see you later ok?"

"Ok." Eureka replied and she went on her way.

'_The breezes of the ocean wave over us as we sit on the beach close to each other in a loving embrace watching the sunset. We are cuddled up close to a small campfire cooking fresh fish for our dinner. Eureka looks beautiful in the short lavender spring dress that she's wearing here on our honeymoon. We've only been here a few days but already it feels like a lifetime. We only wish it would never end.'_

"Hey Renton."

"Huh? Yes Eureka?"

"Are you daydreaming again?" asked Eureka. She had finally found him sitting in the lower section of the cockpit.

"Oh yeah sorry. I was thinking about what our honeymoon could be like since we never got to have one after our wedding."

"And what was it like?" asked Eureka.

"About as beautiful and romantic as it can get." Renton replied.

"That sounds wonderful."

"Believe me it was. So did you need something Eureka?"

"No I just came to tell you that the Nirvash should be ready either tonight or tomorrow morning."

"That's great." Renton replied. "Is there any way that I can convince you to try to sneak out on a honeymoon at all after she's done?"

"I'm sorry Renton but no. I love you more than anything but abandoning the Gekko just isn't the right thing to do right now."

"Yeah I know." Renton replied. "It's just the way you looked in my thoughts though you looked more beautiful than ever before."

"I did?" asked Eureka. Renton then grabbed her in a loving hug as they sat there and said "Yes you did. Do you remember the way your hair looked when we were in the promised land?"

"Yes I do why?"

"That's the way you looked but instead of the uniform you usually wore at that time you had an elegant lavender spring dress on. You were totally breathtaking."

"I was?" Eureka replied while she blushed.

"Yes you were. You're beautiful the way you are now and the way you were in our wedding, but in my thoughts you just took my breath away." said Renton. "I don't know what it was about you, but it made the love I have for you even greater now than it was before."

"It did? Oh Renton thank you!!" Eureka replied as she planted a hard kiss on Renton. After she released her hold on Renton, she said "You wont' regret this!!" and ran off the bridge.

"What was that about?" Renton wondered to himself after she left.

"Talho, Talho!!" Eureka yelled as she ran up and down the hallways as she looked for her. Talho finally heard this and poked her head out their bedroom door.

"Whoa Eureka slow down!" Talho laughed. "What is it dear?"

"I need your help!" Eureka replied.

"Why what's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's something for Renton!"

"I see." said Talho with a smile. "Come into our room and explain it to me there. Then we'll see if I can help you."

A little while later after Eureka explained everything to Talho, she finally knew what Eureka needed.

"Ok." said Talho. "Basically we need to set up a romantic get away for two on the beach. I think we can do that even with the situation we're in."

"Really?" asked Eureka with excitement in her eyes.

"Yes." Talho replied. "Since we know what you want and need, I think a little shopping trip is in order, so go get ready."

"Right now?" Eureka replied.

"Yes now! So get going. I'll meet you in the 606 in ten minutes. I'll go tell Holland to watch our son while we're gone."

"Ok." said Eureka and she darted off to their room.

"This is going to be fun." said Talho to herself. Within about ten minutes time, Eureka and Talho were set and ready to go in the 606.

"You ready?" asked Talho.

"Yeah let's go!" Eureka replied excitedly.

"Alright. 606 launching now!!" and they took off to the nearest city.

"Hey Holland what's going on around here? asked Renton.

"I don't know. Talho just dumped our son on me in the middle of a meeting with Morita." Holland replied. "She then took off in a hurry."

"Sounds similar to what happened to me." said Renton. "I was talking to Eureka, she got excited, planted a kiss on me and ran off in a hurry also."

"Did she say why?" asked Holland.

"No she didn't." Renton replied.

"Well what were you two talking about?"

"About what our honeymoon would've been like if we were able to have one."

"Whoa wait a minute. You two were talking about a honeymoon, Eureka tells Talho afterwards, Talho gets excited, and so does Eureka. That could mean only one thing Renton."

"SHOPPING TRIP!!" They both yelled.

"Gidget! Did any of the LFO's take off at all?" asked Holland

"Umm, yeah the 606 did about fifteen minutes ago." she replied.

"We're too late." said Holland with a solemn tone. "There goes all my money for a while."

"I'm sorry Holland." said Renton. "I didn't plan on them doing this you know."

"It's ok it's not your fault Renton. All I can say is enjoy your honeymoon." Holland replied. He then turned and walked out of the cockpit with his son in his arms.

"What did I get myself into?" asked Renton to himself as he watched the earth slowly go by them.

"Hey Eureka over here!!" said Talho. The two had stopped in a small town called Estoria which happened to be the closest town in the area. While they wandered around the small town, Talho had finally found a small boutique store that would hopefully have exactly what they were looking for.

As they looked around the store, Talho yelled "Eureka I found something!!". As Eureka rounded a corner, she saw what Talho had found and said "Talho it's perfect!!". The dress that Talho had pulled from the rack was exactly what she wanted. It was a little bit lighter than the lavender color she was looking for, but it didn't matter to her. The straps that held it on were thin and it was cut low in the back which worked well for her wings. The front was cut low too, but a little higher than the back as not to show too much. The fabric it was made of was soft and comfortable since it was all silk. When Talho heard her reaction, she knew that she had hit the jackpot.

"Great!" Talho replied. "And it's just your size. Since you're not showing quite yet from your pregnancy, you should look perfect in it."

"Thanks Talho." Eureka replied.

"No problem. Ok next stop is the hair salon to get your hair done the way you told me you wanted it. After that it's accessories, supper, and then back home after that."

"Sounds great." Eureka replied. "Let's go."

Meanwhile back on the ship, final touches to the Nirvash were finally being completed. "Have Holland and Renton come down here." said Morita. "It's finally complete."

"Alright I'll go get them." said Axel. Ten minutes later Holland and Renton arrived in the hangar.

"What's with the long face Holland?" asked Morita.

"Our wives went out on a shopping spree with my money." said Holland.

"I see." Morita chuckled. "Luckily I've never had that problem."

"It hurts believe me." Holland replied.

"Anyways is she ready to go?" asked Renton.

"Yes she is and she's better than new." Morita replied.

"That's good to hear." said Renton. "Now to wait for Eureka to return so we can take her out for a test run."

"God only knows when that'll happen because when Talho gets the shopping bug, it's hard to stop her." Holland replied.

"Yeah I believe it." said Renton with a laugh.

"Anyways Morita, thanks again for the help." said Holland. "When will you guys be leaving?"

"Right away in the morning." Morita replied. "It'll give us time to clean up this place."

"Alright that's fine." said Holland. "Come on Renton, let's go get some supper. It'll probably be my last decent one after Talho gets done."

"Oh ok." said Renton with a laugh. They then left the hangar and headed towards the dining hall.

"Ok Eureka you all set?" asked Talho. The two had finally gotten done with their shopping and eating dinner out and were finally back aboard the 606.

"Yeah I am except for one thing." Eureka replied.

"And what's that?" asked Talho.

"Where are me and Renton going to stay for our honeymoon?"

"I already have that covered." said Talho. She then dug into her purse and pulled out several photos.

"Whose place is this?" Eureka asked as she looked over the photos.

"Me and Holland's." Talho replied. "We got it after the second summer of love and it's where our son was born."

"It looks nice, plus it's what we have been dreaming about."

"That's why I though the timing was perfect." Talho replied. "I want you two to use it."

"Are you sure?" asked Eureka.

"Yeah I am and don't argue." Talho replied. "Now lets go home before they send out the federation army to come look for us."

"Yeah, let's go home." said Eureka and they then took off towards the Gekko.

Thirty minutes later, the two finally got landed and secured back on the Gekko.

"Well, how broke did you leave me?" asked Holland as they climbed out of the 606.

"Not too bad." Talho replied with a laugh. "I left you some this time."

"That's good." said Holland. "Wow, Eureka, you look different."

"You like it?" she asked.

"Yeah I do. You look a lot more grown up."

"That's the effect we were going for." Talho replied. "Now hurry up and go get packed Eureka. I'm taking you two out tomorrow morning."

"Ok thanks Talho!" Eureka replied and she ran out of the hangar.

"Where are you taking them?" asked Holland.

"To our lakefront cabin on the beach." Talho replied. "And no arguments!!!"

"Ok ok no arguments!!" said Holland as Talho released his collar. "I just hope it's safe for them."

"It will be since it's luckily in federation territory at the moment, but I'll still have Jurgens keep regular patrols over there."

"That's fine. I just hope the two enjoy themselves out there." Holland replied.

"They will don't worry." Talho replied with a smile. She then turned and walked out of the hangar.

"Eureka are you sure about this?" asked Renton as they packed that night. "I mean we should stick around and test the Nirvash now that it's done."

"Yes I'm sure!" Eureka replied happily. "Talho gave us this chance and I'd hate to turn her down."

"Yeah I guess I wouldn't want to either."

"Besides, wasn't this your dream for us?"

"Yeah it was. I just didn't think you'd change your mind this fast."

"Neither did I until you told me about it." Eureka replied. "And when Talho did all this for us, there was no way I could say no to her."

"I guess not." Renton replied with a laugh. They then finished packing their things and went to bed for the night.

"Hey you guys ready to go?" asked Talho the next morning.

"Yeah we are." Renton replied. "We're all loaded up and ready to go."

"Alright. Meet me in the 606 in fifteen minutes. The trip will take a couple of hours from where we're at so I hope you don't mind being cramped up that long."

"We'll be fine." Eureka replied.

"Ok see you soon then." and she walked out of their room.

"Hey momma how long will you be gone?" asked Maeter.

"Only seven days dear. It'll go by fast you'll see."

"We'll miss you momma." said Linck.

"We'll miss you too Linck." Renton replied. "Maurice, make sure you watch over them for us ok?"

"I will papa." he replied.

"Alright we're off then." said Renton. "Let's go Eureka."

"Ok bye everyone! We'll see you soon!" said Eureka

"Bye momma and papa! Have fun!!" yelled the kids as Renton and Eureka walked out of their room.

Two hours later as promised, Talho, Renton, and Eureka made it to the lake front cabin of Holland and Talho. It was a very rustic looking and extremely cozy inside, which was a far cry from the modern interior of the Gekko.

"You're all set guys." said Talho after they unloaded their luggage. "Have fun and see you in seven days!" She then hopped into the 606 and took off for home.

"Well she sure left in a hurry." said Renton with a laugh.

"Yeah she did." Eureka replied as she looked out the door of the cabin. The scenery of the area was heavily wooded but serene. The view of the lake and beach with the far out mountains looking over them was breathtaking. The entire thing left her with a calm, peaceful feeling inside her heart.

"You ok Eureka?" asked Renton.

"Yeah I'm fine. It's just so peaceful and quiet out here. I absolutely love it."

"Yeah it is serene isn't it?" Renton replied as he finished unpacking their things. "Well, I'm done here. I'm going to go check out the lake and the beach. Do you want to come along?"

"I'll be down there in a few minutes so you go on ahead. There's something I want to do first."

"Ok see you there." Renton replied and he headed towards the lake.

"This is the perfect time to use my new outfit that Talho got me!" Eureka said to herself. She then ran to the master bedroom to get changed.

"It sure is a gorgeous view out here." Renton said to himself as he walked around barefoot on the beach. "The breeze is comfortable, the sun is warm, it's almost too beautiful to explain." he said with a smile. "Even the sand is nice and warm."

"Hey Renton." said Eureka with a lovely tone to her voice. Renton then turned to look at her and couldn't believe what he saw in front of him. There stood Eureka, looking as beautiful as she did on their wedding day. With the light purple spring dress and her hair blowing in the breeze, the effect left him totally speechless. There was no way he could say a word.

"Renton are you ok?"

"So beautiful. You look absolutely amazing Eureka." Renton replied.

"You like it then?" she asked.

"I absolutely love it. You look like what I had pictured you in my thoughts." he replied. "Did you do all this for me?"

"Yeah I did." Eureka replied.

"You didn't have to Eureka. I love you no matter how you look."

"I know, but I wanted to see that look you were giving me on the ship again." Eureka replied. "And I think I got it."

"Yeah you did. You also made my heart skip a beat. I just can't believe you would do this for me." said Renton.

"You still love me for it don't you?" asked Eureka.

"Of course I do. More now than ever before that's for sure." said Renton as he held Eureka in a tight embrace. "Thank you."

"Anything for you Renton." she replied. "Now how about we sit here on the beach until the sun sets. I brought down a picnic lunch and supper for us so we could eat out here."

"That sounds nice." said Renton. They then walked down to the middle of the beach and sat down facing the lake. "One more thing though."

"And what's that dear?"

"Thank you again for making my dream come true."

"Anything for you my dear husband." she replied. They then gave each other a slow passionate kiss and sat and cuddled comfortably on the beach until the sun went down.


	13. New Family

-1Chapter 13- new family

"Hey Dominic, do you know where Anemone's at?" asked Hilda.

"I'm not sure at the moment. Last I knew was that she was somewhere on the ship with the kids."

Hilda let out a heavy sigh and said "Alright, but if you see her, let her know that Axel has been looking for her."

"What does he need her for?" asked Dominic.

"I'm not too sure at the moment, but I think it's something about the Venturion." Hilda replied.

"Oh in that case I'll check on it myself. If Axel still needs her though I'll go find her myself."

"Works for me." said Hilda. "I'm on my way to the hangar myself anyways. I have to go through all the maintenance checks on LFO's anyways.

"I'll just go with you then. It'll give me something to do anyways."

"Why are you that bored?" asked Hilda.

"No not really. All that army paperwork is starting to drive my eyes buggy."

"I hear you there." said Hilda with a laugh. "I'm in charge of all the paperwork here on the ship."

"You are?" asked Dominic as they walked towards the hangar.

"Yep. If it wasn't for me we wouldn't know what we needed around here."

"Now I know why we're fed so well around here." Dominic said with a hearty laugh.

"Yeah I guess you could say that." Hilda replied as they reached the hangar. "Hey Axel I couldn't find Anemone, but I was able to find the next best thing for you." she said laughing.

"Ha ha very funny." Dominic replied. "Anyways Axel, is there something I can help with you with?"

"Maybe since you help pilot this thing." Axle replied. "Anemone told me that there's been a problem with the weapons systems on it."

"Yeah there actually has been." said Dominic. "They haven't been reacting like they should be."

"Like how?"

"They've been reacting a lot slower that usual. The biggest delay went up to about four to five seconds at one point."

"Hmmm, not good. Sounds like there's a glitch in the weapons trigger system. I'll check it out. Thanks."

"No problem Mr.Thurston. Is there anything else you need help with?"

"No that's it for now. I'll let you know when I get if fixed. By the way, where's that wife of yours anyways?"

"I'm not sure. Like I told Hilda, she's probably with the kids somewhere."

"Why? Were you put in charge of them while Renton and Eureka were gone?" asked Axel.

"No, but I think Anemone volunteered us for the job."

"I see." Axel replied. "You had better take good care of them while they're gone then."

"We will don't worry sir. There's no way we'll let them down. They've done enough for us so it's the least we can do for them."

"That's good to hear Dominic. You had better go find your wife then to make sure she doesn't need anything or any help from you at all."

"Yes sir!" Dominic replied and he then ran out of the hangar.

"That's a good man she's got there." Axel said to himself. "He'll make a good father someday." He then got to work fixing the weapons system on the Venturion.

"Hey Anemone, why did you marry Dominic?" asked Maeter in a curious tone.

"Well, I'd have to say it was for the same reason that your mom married Renton." Anemone replied.

"And what reason is that? You two seem so different compared to mama and papa."

"We may be, but it's because of who we are that we love each other." said Anemone.

"Really?" Maeter replied. Anemone laughed gently and said "Yeah really. You'll figure it out when you're older."

"Oh, ok." Maeter said happily and she went back to her study guides. Anemone had decided herself to take care of the kids while Eureka and Renton were gone on their honeymoon. She wanted to know what it was like to be a mother, so she thought it would be a great experience for her to try it out. It turned out to be tougher than she thought. Trying to keep up with routines, schedules, meals, discipline, their studies, chores, and anything else they needed was tiring and hard to get used to. But she loved every minute of it and wouldn't have traded it for the world.

"Hey Anemone. How are things going so far?" asked Dominic. He had been wandering around the ship when he finally found them in the lounge.

"It's going great." Anemone replied. "But boy is it tiring. How do Renton and Eureka do it?"

"Well, they're used to it compared to your three days worth of work." Dominic replied.

"Yeah true. But I am loving the experience so far. Too bad you're too busy to help."

"Hey, all you have to do is ask dear. You know that I would help at any time."

"Good. You can start now. Stay here with the kids and help them with their studies while I go make lunch for them."

"Oh, ok. I guess I can do that." Dominic replied. Anemone then left the lounge to go prepare their lunches. "I just hope I can handle it." said Dominic to himself after she left.

Twenty minutes later, Anemone returned to the sounds of laughing and talking as she rolled in a cart carrying their lunches. "What's going on here?" asked Anemone as she walked in.

"Nothing other than them working on their studies while we talk and joke around." Dominic replied.

"Ok if you say so." said Anemone with a slight giggle. "Anyways, here's your lunches everyone."

"Yay!!" cheered the kids as they dug in.

"Thanks dear." said Dominic as they ate. "And since you made lunch and have been working so hard with them, I'll make supper for all of you tonight."

"Sounds like a plan." Anemone replied. "and after lunch kids you have some free time. Afterwards it's supper, chores, and bedtime ok?"

"Ok." they replied cheerfully. Fifteen minutes later the kids finished their lunches and ran off to play. As Dominic and Anemone cleaned up afterwards, Dominic said "You're doing great with them Anemone. It's almost like you're a natural with kids."

"You think so? I wasn't so sure about that when I started."

"Yeah I do. You're practically an aunt to them."

"But that would make me Eureka's sister, and we both know that ain't true."

"I know, but that's just the way you act around them."

"True. I do love being around them. I just hope they feel the same way."

"I'm sure they do. Just call it a hunch." Dominic replied.

"A hunch that's probably correct." said Talho as she was walking by. "I've been watching you Anemone and I would have to say that I'm impressed with what I've seen out of you so far. You've really done well."

"Thanks Talho. I'm glad you said that. I guess I could be a good mother after all." Anemone replied.

"Yes you could. Have you and Dominic ever talked about having kids of your own someday?"

"Actually yes we have. We're just not sure if we're ready yet."

"Well, when you are, it'll be a wonderful feeling, trust me. I knew it when me and Holland first got pregnant."

"Ok, I'll take your word for it." Anemone replied.

"You should." said Talho. "Anyways I have to go take care of some paperwork so I'll see you two later."

"Alright Talho. Thanks again." said Dominic.

"No problem." Talho replied and she left the room.

"Hey Anemone, where did the kids go anyways?" asked Dominic.

"Not sure. I guess part of the job is to also keep track of them and keep them out of trouble." Anemone replied.

"I would think so. Renton and Eureka would be mad at us if we didn't."

"Well hopefully they can't do too much damage to the ship."

"Hopefully not, but they can still cause plenty of chaos around here."

"True. I guess we had better go find them then."

"Yeah we better." Dominic replied.

"Ok you guys these are the only pranks we're doing to them." said Maurice. "This only so we can finally break them in. We've gotten everyone else so now it's their turn."

"Right!" said Maeter and Linck cheerfully. They then set all their plans into motion. Maurice took care of the water buckets over the door so that they both got drenched when they walked in. Linck put two whoopee cushions into their bed while Maeter stuffed some flour into Anemones hair dryer. For the final trick, the moved the pull strings from the lights on their headboard and attached them to two pies sitting on top of it. By the end of the evening, Dominic and Anemone's room would be a complete war zone.

"Ok you guys it's all set! Let's go!" said Maeter. "This will be fun when they walk in."

"Right!" replied Linck and Maurice. They then carefully left the room as not to be seen.

"Hey guys! Where have you been all afternoon?" asked Anemone. "We've been looking all over for you."

"We've been around." said Maurice. "We just came into the dining hall for a snack."

"That's fine. Dominic will be making supper soon. After that it's chores and bedtime ok?"

"Ok." they all replied. They then left the room laughing and giggling.

"Seems like you're doing well with them." said Hilda as they ran past her.

"Yeah I think so too." Anemone replied. "One thing worries me though."

"And what's that?" Hilda asked.

"Well, they seem to be behaving too well. I'm new at this kind of thing and I think they're making it too easy for me."

"They have grown up a lot in the last two years or so. Their manners have gotten a lot better in that time. But it could be one other thing also."

"What other thing?" asked Anemone.

"Well, they were well known for pulling pranks at one point in time, even though they quit doing that a long time ago."

"I sure hope so." Anemone replied. "I've never had a prank done to me before and I don't know how I would handle it."

"Well, I suggest you watch yourselves then. If you usually make it to bed time safely, then you're ok for another day."

"Ok, thanks for the warning Hilda. I'll make sure to tell Dominic when I see him."

"No problem. See you later!" said Hilda and she left the room. As Anemone sat there in the dining hall thinking about how to avoid any pranks that the kids had, Dominic walked into the kitchen to make their dinner.

"What's wrong Anemone?" asked Dominic as he started pulling out pots and pans.

"Oh just thinking." Anemone replied.

"About what?"

"Well, Hilda just told me that the kids used to pull a lot of pranks when they were younger, and she warned me that they might try to pull some on us." Anemone replied. "And if they try to, I want to somehow avoid them."

"I doubt they'll pull anything Anemone. They have grown up you know. So I think they've learned not to pull any anymore." said Dominic.

"I sure hope so. Anyways what's for dinner?"

"I've got steaks, potatoes, veggies, stuffing, and then a chocolate cake for dessert."

"Sounds great. When will it be done?"

"Give me a half hour to forty five minutes." Dominic replied. "It should be ready then."

"Ok we'll be waiting." said Anemone. She then left the dining room to go find the kids.

"So how was dinner guys?" asked Dominic as they finished eating.

"It was great!" said Maeter. "It was really yummy!!"

"Yeah good job dear!" said Anemone as she kissed her husband. "I couldn't have done any better if I tried."

"Well thank you." said Dominic. "What did you two think?" he asked while looking at Maurice and Linck.

"It was good!" said Maurice. "The dessert was awesome."

"Yeah it was!" yelled Linck.

"That's good to hear." Dominic replied. "Why don't you kids go take care of your chores while me and Anemone clean up here."

"Ok." the kids replied and they ran out of the room.

"I think we're fine Anemone. I don't think they'll pull anything on us." said Dominic as they cleaned up from supper.

"Yeah I guess you're right." Anemone replied. "I probably just got worked up over it that's all."

"Yeah I guess you did." said Dominic as they finished cleaning up. "Now let's go to our room and get some of our own work done."

"Yeah I suppose we had better. We have gotten a little behind in our military work."

"Yes we have." Dominic replied as they got to their bedroom door. "Ladies first." he said as he opened it.

"Thank you." said Anemone playfully. As soon as she walked in, the first bucket of water spilled onto her head. "Ahhhhh that's cold!!!!" she yelled.

"Anemone are you….." said Dominic. The second bucket of water had spilled onto his head before he could even finish what he was saying. "Those brats!! I'm going to get'em!!" he yelled.

"Dominic I thought you said we would be safe from them!" said Anemone as she stood there dripping wet.

"Well I thought we would be!" Dominic replied.

"Well you were wrong! Here are some towels. Use one for yourself and the others to dry the floor. I'm going to go use my hairdryer.

"Thanks." Dominic replied. As he started to dry himself off and clean up the floor, he heard a blood curdling scream come out of the bathroom.

"Anemone what's wrong?!" he yelled as he ran towards the bathroom.

"They did it again!" she said as she walked out of the bathroom white as a ghost. "Those darn kids put flour in my hairdryer!!"

"No way!" said Dominic.

"Yes way!" Anemone yelled. "I am getting into the shower, putting on my pajamas, and going to bed!" she then grabbed her nightclothes, walked back into the bathroom, and slammed the door.

"Man those kids are causing us nothing but trouble tonight." said Dominic as he got changed out of his wet clothes, dried off, and put on his night loungers. Ten minutes later Anemone came out of the bathroom fully cleaned up and dried off.

"I hope that was the end of the pranks." said Anemone as they started to crawl into bed.

"Yeah no kidding." Dominic replied as he crawled in next to her.

"PVVVVVTTTTTTTT!!!"

"Now what?!" yelled Anemone.

"Whoopee cushions? Oh well, it's better than flour or having ice water dumped on you." said Dominic.

"Yeah I guess I can handle those." said Anemone with a laugh.

"No doubt about that." Dominic replied. "Well, good night dear."

"Good night." she replied. After they gave each other a small kiss, that's when the final prank was pulled. As the two went to pull the strings that turned off their lights, two large cherry pies came down instead and landed square on top of their heads. Anemone then let out yet another blood curdling scream.

"What's going on in here!?" asked Hilda as she and Talho came running into the room.

"Ask those darn kids we're watching!!" yelled Dominic. All Talho and Hilda could do was stand there and laugh at the situation in front of them.

"What's so funny?" asked Anemone as she got up with pie still dripping from her head.

"The whole thing." Hilda replied. "We've been waiting for them to finally get you two. It was only a matter of time before they did."

"Don't worry. We'll help you clean up around here if you want to go get cleaned up."

"Good because I'm a mess- AGAIN!!" Anemone replied. "We'll go hit the showers. Be right back in a little bit."

"Alrighty." Hilda replied as her and Talho started cleaning up the mess.

Thirty minutes later, Dominic and Anemone returned to see their room fully cleaned up and ready to go.

"Here you guys." said Talho. "We went through the room and didn't find anything else, so you're trap free."

"Thanks you two for everything. Goodnight." said Anemone.

"Goodnight." Hilda replied and they left the room.

"Well, do you still want to have kids now?" asked Dominic as they crawled back into bed.

"Yeah I do." Anemone replied. "I ain't letting Renton and Eureka's kids scare me off that easily."

"That's good." said Dominic. "I thought they had after all of that."

"Nope. It'll take more than that to stop me."

"I see." said Dominic with a laugh. "Should we maybe finally decide when we should try to start a family?"

"Well, I know it sounds sudden, but how about we try now? We've been married long enough and I think I'm ready to have our own little miracles now."

"Are you sure Anemone? It's a big decision."

"Yeah I'm sure Dominic. I think it's time for us to have our own family."

"Ok if you say so dear. You realize that if and when we do become pregnant, there's no turning back." Dominic replied.

"Yes I know." said Anemone with caring eyes while she looked at Dominic. "It would be our child Dominic. And like Eureka, I would never give up on it."

"Yeah I guess we are ready then. We already have what I believe are two good homes. One is here on the GekkoState and then our other home in Bellforest. I also know it'll have two loving parents by it's side at all times who would give it more love than they could ever handle."

"Yes it will." Anemone replied. "Thank you Dominic for being a wonderful husband."

"Anytime dear. Now lets get some rest. It's been a long busy night and we have four more days to go before Renton and Eureka come home."

"Ok. Goodnight Dominic."

"Goodnight my sweet Anemone." They then gave each other one more goodnight kiss, got under their covers, and fell asleep in each others arms.


	14. Returning Home

-1Chapter 14- returning home

"Hey Eureka are you ready to go?" yelled Renton from the living room.

"Almost!" she replied from the bedroom.

"Well hurry up!" Renton replied. "Talho should be here at any time to get us."

"Ok!" Eureka yelled. The two had just spent the seven most wonderful and romantic days at a lakefront cabin owned by Holland and Talho. Everyday that they spent there made them feel like newlyweds again. With moonlight walks along the beach, sitting outside watching the sunrises and sunsets, romantic bonfires, the occasional swim in the lake, and even making love late one night next to a bonfire on the beach. They were all memories that they would cherish forever.

"All set." said Eureka as she walked out of the bedroom.

"You sure? It's going to be hard leaving this place." Renton replied.

"Yeah I'm sure. It is going to be hard leaving, but it's time we saw our kids again."

"True, I do miss them." said Renton. "By the way, you look nice today."

"Thank you" she replied softly. Eureka had put on a soft yellow sundress that almost went down to the floor. She also had on yellow slip on sandals that matched it perfectly. The back was cut low of course and it had thin straps that held it on nicely.

"It makes you look beautiful as always dear." said Renton.

"Oh Renton." Eureka replied while she blushed slightly. Just then the sounds of an LFO landing nearby were heard outside.

"Sounds like Talho is here." said Renton. "You ready to see your kids again?"

"If you mean our kids then yes." she replied with a slight laugh since she knew he was kidding. Talho then walked up and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" said Renton.

"Are you two ready to go?" asked Talho as she walked in.

"Yes we are." Eureka replied.

"Did you two enjoy yourselves out here?"

"Yes we did thank you. It was really nice of you to let us use your place."

"Don't mention it." Talho replied. "Anyways let's get loaded up. You two have three kids waiting for you."

"Yeah I bet." Renton replied. "Hopefully they weren't too much of a hassle to deal with."

"Oh I wouldn't say that." Talho replied with a laugh as they loaded their luggage.

"Why? What did they do this time?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. I'll just let Dominic and Anemone give you the details."

"Sounds like they got themselves into trouble again." said Eureka as they finished loading and climbed into the 606.

"I'm not saying another word about it." Talho replied. "You two strapped in?"

"Yes we are." Renton replied.

"Alright then. Launching now!" and the 606 shot off the ground in a green flash of trapar.

"So how long of a ride do we have this time?" asked Renton.

"Only about forty five minutes to an hour depending on how close the Gekko is." Talho replied. "Why, are you in a hurry?"

"Just a little I guess. Our honeymoon was great, but it'll be nice to be home again."

"I bet it will be." said Talho. "It's been quiet around there without you two."

"As always." said Renton with a laugh.

"So what did you two do on your honeymoon?"

"Moonlight walks along the beach, romantic bonfires, watching the sunrises and sunsets in each others arms, and we even went swimming a couple of times. It was a wonderful week." Eureka replied. "I just wish it had never ended."

"Sounds like you had a good time." said Talho. "I'm surprised you two didn't do what I thought you were going to do."

"Well, we did one night on the beach next to a bonfire. It was really romantic that night." Eureka replied while blushing, also causing Renton's face to turn red.

"At least you two had a wonderful time together. You deserved it."

"Yeah, thanks." said Renton while he was still red in the face.

"Renton, you don't have to be embarrassed about it. You are technically an adult you know."

"Yeah I realize that." Renton replied. "I'm just not used to people knowing about it yet."

"It's alright. I'll try not to ask anymore ok?"

"That'd be great." Renton replied. Just then the radar on the 606 went nuts.

"Talho what's going on?" asked Eureka worryingly.

"Multiple rebel units heading our way!" Talho yelled. "How did they find us though?"

"How far away are we from the Gekko?" asked Renton.

"I'm not sure. Eureka, get on the radio and try to hail them! I'm going to try to fight and hold these guys back for as long as I can!"

"Roger!" Eureka replied. She then started typing in the frequency codes hoping she could reach them.

At the same time, Holland, Doggie, Ken-Goh, and Gidget were all sitting in the cockpit of the ship when the emergency communication came through.

"Leader! Emergency communication coming from the 606!" yelled Gidget.

"What!?" said Holland. "Quick, put it through!"

"Roger!" she replied. In a split second Eureka's voice came through the speakers.

"Gekko this is the 606 do you copy?"

"606 this is the Gekko. Eureka what's going on?" asked Holland.

"We're under attack and being pursued by multiple rebel LFO units! Talho is fighting back and holding them off the best she can. We're at coordinates two seven one zero. Send out the other LFO units right away!"

"Roger we're on our way so hang tight until we get there! Gekko out!"

"Roger that!" and the radio went silent.

"Doggie, set our course for two seven one zero! Gidget, scramble the LFO's ! I'm heading to the hangar. Ken-Goh, you're in charge. Make sure all weapons are armed and ready if we need them!"

"Roger!" they all replied. Holland and the rest of the ships LFO pilots then sprinted into the hangar, hopped into their LFO's, and took off into the air towards the battle.

"They're on their way!" Eureka yelled.

"Good job Eureka! Now help with the weapons controls so we can keep these guys back!"

"Roger!" she replied.

"Renton, keep an eye on the radar and radio communications! Hopefully the others will be here pretty quick."

"Roger that!" he replied.

"Man these guys are quicker than we thought! I've gotten two confirmed kills but it sure don't feel like it!" yelled Talho as she dodged a hail of bullets and missiles. "I'm not sure if we can hold them back much longer!"

"Keep trying!" yelled Renton. "The others have finally come up on the radar! They should be here any minute now!"

"It's about time they got here! Let's see what those rebel idiots can do up against us now!"

"Alright let's finish them off!" said the leader of the rebel units. "That'll show those federation scumbags whose boss around here!"

"Leader that's the least of our worries!"

"Why's that 02?"

"Four more federation units have mobilized and are heading in our direction!"

"Say what?!"

"Yes sir! Four more federation units approaching hot and heavy! Thirty seconds, no twenty seconds until contact!"

"Crap! All units spread out! Let's take them out now!"

"Roger that!" they all replied.

"606 this is the Venturion do you copy?" asked Anemone.

"Roger we copy!" said Eureka.

"We have a little present for you if you want it! Look to your right a little below you!" Anemone replied. When they looked over, they saw that they had the Nirvash miraculously in tow. Renton and Eureka looked at each other and knew what they had to do.

"Talho open the hatch!" yelled Renton.

"Are you two nuts!! Are you trying to kill yourselves?" yelled Talho.

"Don't ask just do it!"

"Fine but be careful!"

"Trust us we will. Let's go Eureka!"

"Right!" she replied. Talho then opened the hatch and Renton along with Eureka jumped out of the 606 and landed softly into the awaiting Nirvash. When they got strapped in, the Nirvash came to life and turned into it's humanoid form. Now the entire Gekkostate fighting fleet was ready to go.

"Crap it's the type zero!" yelled the rebel fleet leader. "And what's that other one?"

"Unknown sir! It's a new federation ship!" said 03.

"Ahh who cares! It's now fifteen to six in our favor. They don't stand a chance against us anyways! Let's go!" said the leader.

"Right!" replied the other units.

"Venturion this is the Nirvash. Thanks for the gift! Now let's show them what they get for ruining the end of our honeymoon!" said Eureka with a tone of determination in her voice.

"You got Eureka! Let's do it!" Dominic replied.

"Renton, let's do it." said Eureka while she looked at him.

"Right!" he replied. The young couple then pulled up on the compact drives lever, activating the Amita drive and bringing the Nirvash up to full power. "Now they're in trouble." said Renton to himself as they went on the offense.

"606, Talho, are you ok?" asked Holland in the 909 after he took out a rebel LFO.

"Yeah I'm fine thanks. Now let's get these guys! They have seriously pissed me off!" Talho replied.

"You got it dear." said Holland. "Nobody messes with my wife and gets away with it!"

"808 scratch two!" said Hilda. She was riding shotgun with Matthieu in the backseat.

"Roger that! Good job you two." Holland replied over the radio. Just then a streak of light went flying by them at incredible speeds.

"What in the world was that?" asked Holland.

"It's the Nirvash! I think they activated the Amita drive in it!" said Matthieu.

"What? Where's the Venturion? It should have been getting affected by them also."

"It's at our three o'clock engaged with three rebel units!"

"Right! I'll go back them up! You two and Talho in the 606 take care of the units to the left! Let the Nirvash go after the other ones! Those rebels have messed with the wrong group!"

"Roger!" they all replied.

"Hey Anemone shouldn't we be backing up the Nirvash?" asked Dominic.

"As you noticed we can't right now!" said Anemone. "Scratch one!" she yelled as she took out one of the three units they were up against. Suddenly an explosion was heard to their right.

"Make that two!" said Dominic. "Thanks for the backup 909!"

"No problem!" Holland replied as he took out the remaining rebel LFO. "We're all clear here now! Let's go back the others up!"

"Roger!" they replied.

"Leader we can't keep up with it!" said 04. "We have to retreat!"

"Negative! You'll keep fighting unless I tell you to……."

"Leader!" yelled unit 04. Renton and Eureka had taken out several of the rebel units without them taking a single hit in the battle, let alone any of the rebel units getting near them. You could tell by the way they fought they were fighting with total determination.

"Everyone we're down to five units! Head to head combat is useless! Retreat now!"

"Roger!" the rest of them replied. They then regrouped and left the area.

"All confirmed rebel units are now retreating and leaving the area!" said Hilda.

"Great job everyone! Good teamwork!" said Holland. "Nirvash, how you holding up?"

"We're fine." said Renton. "They got what they deserved for ruining the end of our honeymoon.

"I guess they did." said Talho in the 606.

"At least you two are safe and in one piece." said Dominic.

"That's mainly because of Talho. She deserves the credit for that." Eureka replied.

"Thanks you guys. Now can we please go home? I'm tired, hungry, and want to make up for Renton and Eureka's end to their honeymoon."

"You don't have to do that Talho." Eureka replied.

"Yes I do. You deserve a better end to a honeymoon than this." said Talho. "I'll figure out what to do later when we're back on the ship."

"Roger that." Eureka replied. "Alright, let's go home everyone."

"Mama, Papa!" yelled the kids as Renton and Eureka climbed off the Nirvash.

"Hey kids!" Renton replied.

"Hi children." said Eureka as they hugged their parents.

"You look pretty mama!" said Linck.

"Thank you Linck." Eureka replied.

"We missed you guys while we were gone." said Renton.

"We missed you too papa!" the kids replied.

"Hey momma, are you going to dress like that from now on?" asked Maeter.

"Yeah I think I'm going to. These dresses along with regular clothes are more my style I think. So no more uniforms from now on."

"Good idea Eureka." said Renton. "You look better dressing like this anyways."

"Why thank you Renton." Eureka replied as she kissed her husband. "Now let's go to our room and get unpacked. Come on kids!"

"Ok mama!" said the kids happily. They then left the hangar and headed towards their room.

"I took the liberty of watching your son while you two were out in the battle." said Mischa.

"Thanks. We owe you one." said Talho.

"Don't worry about it Talho. Is everyone ok though?"

"Yeah we're all fine. It sure was one heck of a welcome home present for Renton and Eureka though."

"Yeah no kidding." Anemone replied as her and Dominic climbed off the Venturion. "It definitely could've been a lot better."

"Well we have you two to thank for bringing the Nirvash out with you." Mischa replied.

"Ahh no biggie. I'm just glad we did. Those rebels never knew what hit them when those two got behind the controls."

"Yeah that was some power." said Hilda. "Those rebels didn't stand a chance against those two."

"Well didn't you hear her on the radio?" said Matthieu. "Even I wouldn't mess with her with that sound of determination in her voice."

"At least they're home safe and in one piece." Holland replied. "That's the main thing. Now to make up to them for the end of their honeymoon getting ruined. Any ideas anyone?"

"We could make dinner for them." said Hilda.

"Nah, they'd be expecting that."

"Well, that depends really." said Talho.

"Oh really? Do explain." Holland replied.

"Well, where's the most scenic mountain range closest to here?"

"I'd have to say the Reznoire range is. It's the best one around that's not in rebel territory."

"Good. Head towards it and find a proper landing sight."

"Why?" asked Holland.

"I'll explain later. Come on everyone, let's go."

"Hey Renton and Eureka!" said Gidget as they were walking towards their room.

"Hi Gidget." Eureka replied.

"How are you guys doing?"

"Good other than the battle we got into." said Renton.

"It was bad wasn't it?" Gidget replied.

"It wasn't that." said Eureka. "We just didn't want to end our honeymoon like that."

"Yeah that's understandable. I heard Talho say she was going to make it up to you two."

"We know, even though we told her she didn't have to." Renton replied.

"It is nice of her to do it though." said Eureka. "We'll just have to wait to see what she does."

"I guess so." Gidget replied. "Well, I'm going to go find Doggie and see what he's doing. Good seeing you two!"

"You too Gidget! See you later!" said Renton and Gidget went on her way. A few minutes later, the young couple finally arrived at their room and started unpacking.

"We missed you and mama a lot while you were gone." said Maeter.

"We missed you guys too. Did you all behave yourselves while we were gone?" asked Eureka.

"Of course we did!" said Linck.

"Why do I have a hard time believing that?" Renton replied.

"Because you shouldn't." said Anemone as she walked by their room. "They pulled a pretty nasty prank on me and Dominic while you two were gone on your honeymoon."

"What did they do this time?" asked Renton.

"How does spilling water on our heads, putting flour in my hairdryer, whoopee cushions in our bed, and then having cherry pies fall on our heads sound? And that was all in one night."

"Children! How could you." said Eureka. "We didn't raise all of you to do things like that."

"We're sorry mama." the kids replied.

"Not as sorry as you're going to be." said Renton. "Absolutely no playtime for a week. It's going to be study time only other than mealtimes and bedtime."

"Awww but papa." said Maeter. "That's not fair."

"It's fair enough Maeter." Eureka replied. "You will listen to what your father says."

"Ok mama." they all replied.

"Good. Now go to your room and get to work on your study guides." They then hung their heads and went next door to their room.

"Sorry about that Anemone. They shouldn't do it again after this." said Renton.

"It's ok I still love them anyways. By the way, I have some news for you two."

"What news is that?" asked Renton.

"Well, me and Dominic talked the other night and have finally decided to start a family of our own!" Anemone replied.

"Congratulations Anemone!" said Eureka. "Are you two pregnant yet?"

Anemone laughed and said "No not yet. But hopefully we will be sometime soon. I can't wait for that day to come."

"I bet Dominic can't either." Renton replied.

"No he can't." said Anemone with a giggle.

"I'm glad to see you two happy with each other." said Eureka.

"Yeah, same goes for you two. By the way, you should have heard what Dominic said the other day."

"Why what did he say?" asked Renton.

"He said that I'm almost like the kid's aunt with the way I react around them. I told him that would make me like Eureka's sister which we know isn't true or possible."

"My sister?" Eureka replied.

"Yeah your sister." said Anemone.

"I don't see anything wrong with that." Renton replied.

"You don't?" said Eureka.

"No I don't. Talho already calls you her only daughter, which would make her son your brother, not legally of course. So why not have Anemone as a sister? She doesn't have any family that I know of do you?"

"No I don't." Anemone replied sadly. "Dominic, other than Dewey, are the only people I've ever really known in my life."

"Well there you go Anemone!" said Renton. "You just came up with your own answer!"

"What do you mean Renton?"

"You and Eureka can consider yourselves sisters! That way you do have a family you can always be with."

"Really? Do you really mean it you two?" asked Anemone excitedly.

"Sure why not! What do you think Eureka?"

"It's a great idea Renton. I've never had a sister before. So why not start now?"

"Well you two have it all figured out then." Renton replied as he finished unpacking their things. "Anemone, meet your new sister."

"Thank you Renton!" said Anemone happily. "I've never had a real family before that I can remember."

"You're very welcome Anemone." said Renton. "I'm glad I could help."

"Yes, thank you dear." said Eureka as she kissed her husband. "You always seem to know what to do."

"Well, not always, but I try." said Renton with a laugh. "Anyways Anemone, I guess you have some more news to tell Dominic now."

"Yes I do!!" said Anemone with happy tears in her eyes. "And thank you again!" She then gave Renton and Eureka a huge hug and ran out the door.

"You did well Renton." said Eureka after she left. "I didn't expect something like that to happen with us."

"Neither did I, but I'm glad it worked out well for all involved."

"Me too. You just made our family a little bit bigger though, didn't you?"

"Yeah I guess I did didn't I? It's a good feeling though."

"Yes it is." Eureka replied as she held her husbands hand and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Hey Hilda, are we all set then?" asked Talho.

"Yes we are. We found a good landing spot and the dinner plans are all set."

"Great." Talho replied. "Hey Gidget, did you find the decorations we needed?"

"Yes I did." she replied.

"Good. Once we land, you two go on top of the ship and set up the table, chairs, and decorations. Me and Holland will take care of the cooking."

"Sounds like a plan to me." said Hilda. "Let's go get ready Gidget."

"Right!" she replied and they left the cockpit.

"Ok Holland, let's land this thing in about two hours, which should be around dinnertime. We'll start their dinner and the crews dinner in about an hour."

"Boy, you sure know how to plan things out don't you?" Holland replied.

"Things wouldn't work out well if I didn't." said Talho. "Now lets get going."

"Hey Dominic where are you?" asked Anemone when she walked into their room.

"In the bathroom! Give me a sec!" he replied. About a minute or so later, he walked out of the bathroom. "So what did you want?"

"Renton and Eureka just made me the happiest woman in the world!!" she said Excitedly.

"Oh really? And how did they do that?" Dominic asked.

"Eureka just took me in as her sister!!" she replied. "It feels wonderful since I've never really had any family before other than you or Dewey."

"That's great to hear Anemone." said Dominic.

"Isn't it? Now I have someone I can go shopping with, tell boy stories to, along with all other sorts of things."

"I'm glad they made you happy. Now I'll have a brother in law to talk to all the time."

"Yeah, I guess you will won't you?"

"Where are those two anyways?" Dominic asked.

"They were still in their room when I left. Renton had just finished unpacking their things."

"Are they glad to be home?"

"Yes they are. I told them what the kids did to us and they dealt out the punishment to them."

"I be they did. It'll teach them that's for sure."

"We should hope so. Anyways I'm going to go help the others with Renton and Eureka's honeymoon dinner. Do you want to tag along?"

"Sure why not." Dominic replied.

"Hey Renton, why are we landing?" asked Eureka.

"I'm not sure Eureka." Renton replied. "I don't think it's anything with the ship."

"Where are we at then?"

"I'm not even sure of that. What is this mountain range anyways?"

"This is the Reznoire mountain range." said Talho in the background. "The most scenic mountains in this area."

"But why are we landing here?" asked Eureka.

"You'll see in a little bit." said Talho and she walked away.

"I wonder what's going on around here?" Renton asked himself after she walked away.

"Hey Dominic, did you get that table on top of the ship yet?" asked Hilda.

"Yeah I did no thanks to you guys."

"Hey, we are busy with other things you know."

"Yeah but somebody still could've helped."

"That's enough you two." said Holland. "Dominic, good job. Everyone else can finish up around here. Anemone, Hilda, get the food for them up on the table. Talho, you lead Renton and Eureka up to their night out. Everyone else can go eat in the dining hall where your dinner is ready for you."

"Right!" they all replied.

"Hey Renton, Eureka, where are you two?" asked Talho.

"Right here!" said Renton as they walked out of their kids room. "Just checking on the kids."

"I see." said Talho. "Well, if you two are done, could you follow me please?"

"Uh, ok. Come on Eureka."

"Ok dear." she replied. Several minutes later the three were at the top of the ship.

"Uh, Talho, what's this all about?" asked Renton.

"This is your private dinner. The rest of us are eating in the dining hall. Enjoy the views you two." Talho replied and she went back down into the ship.

"I guess this is our end of the honeymoon dinner." said Renton as they sat down to eat.

"It's a beautiful place they picked though with the way the sun is setting."

"Yeah it is isn't it? They did a good job of picking it out."

"Yes they did. It's really romantic out here. Hey, Renton?"

"Yes Eureka?" Renton replied.

"What kind of place did we have in your dreams?"

"Well, it was like Talho and Holland's place, except with a mountain range like this with white capped tips, a forest surrounding us, a huge yard for our kids to play in, and flowers growing as far as the eye can see."

"Do you think we'll ever own a place like that after our child is born?"

"We'll have to see Eureka. It's still too early to really think about that right now, but it will always be a dream we can work towards after our child is born."

"Yeah that's true. I just hope it's one that'll come true for us someday."

"We'll make it happen Eureka, you'll see." Renton replied.

"I know we will Renton, and that's one of the reasons I love you. You always seem to make the impossible possible no matter what the situation is."

"I love you too Eureka. Now lets finish eating and enjoy this view with each other."

"Ok." she replied softly. After the two finished eating, they sat down on top of the ship, cuddled close to each other, and watched the sun set over the mountains.


	15. Abandon Ship

-1Chapter 15- Abandon ship

'_The war has been getting tougher and tougher on everyone these days. Battles are most of the time two to three a day. Fatigue and tiredness are starting to show their ugly faces on the crew. Nerves are frazzled and tempers have been on edge. Saying the wrong thing at the wrong time could spark an all out fight these days. Sleep has been little and far between sometimes and it shows. I'm not sure if the GekkoState can handle working like this for much longer. I hope we get some sort of break or reprieve soon.'_

"Hey Renton, are you done with all those battle reports yet?

"I'm working on them Talho! We just got back from another battle for gods sake. Give me some time will you?"

"Well hurry up with them anyways. I'm not expecting perfection out of them you know."

"I'm almost halfway done with them alright. I'll give them to you or Holland when they're done ok?"

"Fine. Just make it snappy with them will you? I need them so I can finish my paperwork." she said rudely. She then turned around and left the cockpit.

"Man what's her problem?" Renton asked himself after she left. Meanwhile, Eureka was getting into it with Mischa in her office.

"Eureka, you need to start taking it easier these days. You're almost three months in now with your pregnancy. You have to slow down a bit."

"I can't right now Mischa! You know that Renton, the Nirvash, and the rest of the crew need me right now."

"But you're pushing your limits Eureka! You are going to end up hurting your baby if you don't stop this madness."

"But I feel fine right now."

"Yeah you do right now, but all this stress and all the battles are going to catch up with you in the end if you don't slow down a bit."

"Well, unless there's orders from either Holland or Talho to quit fighting, I'm going to continue to fight to protect everyone." She then turned around and left Mischa's office.

"Here Talho, here are all of your battle reports you needed. If you need anything else, I'll be in our room trying to get some rest." said Renton as he dropped the reports on the table, sending other papers flying off of it.

"Hey, I was working on those!" she yelled as he walked out of their room.

Before he went to their room, Renton stopped in the dining hall for a quick snack. After grabbing a piece of cake from the fridge, he went to their room and found Eureka laying there on the bed obviously looking upset.

"Hi Eureka." he said as he sat down next to her.

"Hi dear." she replied. She let out a small smile afterwards, letting him know she was ok.

"How are you feeling? I haven't seen much of you lately other than in battle in the Nirvash."

"Tired, worn out, exhausted really." she replied. "Mischa said I should slow down a bit, but I can't because everyone is relying on us right now."

"It's understandable though. She just worries about you and the baby that's all."

"Yeah I know. I worry too. But there's only so much I can do right now."

"I know how you're feeling Eureka. I really do." Renton replied as he set his empty plate down. He then laid down next to her and held her in his arms. As the two were about to fall asleep, Holland and Talho walked into their room.

"Don't you guys know how to knock? Geez, I'm going to have to start locking that door." said Renton.

"That's enough Renton." Holland replied. "What was up with your attitude towards Talho earlier today? She thought you were kind of rude to her."

"Well she was being rude to me also, rushing me to get those darn battle reports done. I'm up to my eyeballs in reports! One more and I'll be going insane!"

"It's part of the job Renton. Why can't you get used to it?"

"I am used to them. But why can't you get someone else to do them for once?"

"Because there is no one else Renton!" said Talho.

"Yes there is." Eureka replied. "There's Dominic, Anemone, Hilda, Matthieu, and you Holland. So you can give Renton a break you know."

"Well they have things to do also Eureka. You should know that."

"And we don't? Me and Renton have hardly seen each other lately because of how busy we've been around here. We need a break from all this sometime."

"There's no time for that." said Holland. "We have too much to do at this point in time."

"Like what Holland?" asked Renton. "All we've done is fight, eat, sometimes sleep, do massive amounts of reports, and fight again! We need to stop sometime so we can all rest!"

"If you're so worried about rest then, why don't you just leave then?"

"Holland that's enough!!" said Talho. "Don't you dare chase them off this ship again."

"Well if you don't like the way we feel, maybe we will leave then." said Renton.

"That's enough out of you too Renton. Holland, you go to the bridge and cool off before I cool you off myself. You two stay here and get some sleep. We'll see you in the morning." After Talho said that, they finally left the room.

"Hey Renton, why did you threaten to leave the ship?"

"Because they don't care about how anyone feels anymore. All they're worried about is fighting this war right now. They really don't care if we all need rest or not. We all deserve better than that. I don't care if we are in a war or not."

"I'm sure they care Renton, but I do agree that we all need a break from this war. I know we just got back from our honeymoon, but we aren't used to getting this little rest or sleep like this, and we never will be at this pace."

"Well with the way things are going Eureka and with the way they're running things, we'll be passed out from exhaustion before we're done."

"That's true. I just hope things on the ship get better before too much longer or else we'll all suffer in the end."

"I don't think they will Eureka. I really don't."

"You aren't still thinking of leaving still are you?"

"Yeah I am. I know of a place we could go for the time being. There's an old abandoned cabin on the far edge of the forest outside of home. It's well hidden by trees on a hill near the lake and it'll be easy to hide the Nirvash there."

"Does anyone know about it?"

"Only me that I know of. I found it one day when I was still living there and had my motorcycle. It was still there the last I checked."

"Is it ok to stay there though?"

"It should be with a little bit of work of which I can handle easily."

"What about the children? We can't leave them behind."

"We won't dear. There's three bedrooms in the place so there's plenty of room for them to stay with us."

"If we did leave, when would we go?"

"We'll go tonight when everyone's in bed. That way they won't see or hear us."

"Ok Renton, let's go there then."

"Are you sure Eureka? I know how you hate leaving everyone in the middle of everything, especially this war."

"Yes I'm sure Renton. You, me, and our family come first over everything, and we need a break."

"Alright, we're leaving tonight then, so let's get ready."

"Morning everyone!" said Holland as he walked into the dining hall. "I hope everyone got a good nights rest."

"Yeah I know we did." Anemone replied. "It sure was a nice change of pace."

"Yeah but don't get used to it." said Hilda.

"We won't don't worry."

"Hey by the way, has anyone seen Eureka, Renton, and the kids yet?" asked Talho. "Usually they're the first ones up with everyone."

"No not yet." said Gidget. "That is kind of odd of them."

"I'll go check on them." said Anemone. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Report back when you find them." Talho replied. "Me and Holland owe them an apology. We've been kind of hard on them lately."

"Ok I will." said Anemone as she left the room. The first room she checked was Renton and Eureka's to make sure they still weren't sleeping and didn't find them there, even though she did find it strange that the bed hadn't been slept in that night, otherwise she thought nothing of it. When she checked the kid's room and both of the ships lounge areas and didn't see them there, she started to get a little worried at that point, but she continued her search. The last place she looked was the hangar, where she noticed the Nirvash was missing from it's dock. "Oh no!" she yelled as she ran to the nearest intercom. "Holland, Talho, someone! Please, answer quick!!"

"Anemone calm down. What's wrong?" asked Holland.

"The Nirvash! It's gone! I think they all jumped ship last night!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah I am considering the Nirvash isn't in the hangar!"

"Crap! Alright, I'm sending Dominic, Hilda, and Matthieu down. I want all of you to go out in the 606, 808, and the Venturion to see if we can find them, so get ready!"

"Roger that!"

"I want everyone else in the cockpit now! Let's get moving!"

"Right!" they all replied as they got up and ran to their stations.

"I'll get on the radio to Jurgens and let him know of the situation. That way they can help aid in their search."

"I warned you not to chase them off the ship Holland. Now look at what you've done." said Talho.

"Hey, you didn't help out much either Talho. You've been just as rough on them too." he replied as they walked towards the cockpit.

"Do you think they'll go to Bellforest then? It's the only place they know that they can call home."

"No that would be too obvious to them or us. Let's just hope we find them soon. We can't fight this war without them.

"Yeah you're right. We do owe them a major apology if we ever do find them though."

"We'll find them, not to worry about that. It should be pretty easy considering they have the Nirvash, which is easy to spot."

"I sure hope so."

"Hey momma, where are we?" asked Linck. The young family had just landed in the middle of the forest where the cabin Renton had found years ago was still sitting there in pretty good condition, even after being left alone for many years.

"It's our temporary home Linck." Eureka replied as they climbed out of the Nirvash. "We needed to take a break from the Gekko, so your father brought us here."

"How long will we be here momma?" asked Maeter.

"I'm not sure Maeter. We'll see how things go ok?"

"Ok momma."

"It should be ok with a little bit of work. All the trees around this area have kept it pretty well protected from the elements. Do you want to help fix it up Maurice?" asked Renton.

"Sure! Is it ok with you momma?"

"Of course Maurice. Go on and help your father anytime you want."

"Awesome!" he yelled as he ran ahead to the house.

"Linck, Maeter, you two and your mom can help out by cleaning the house while me and Maurice get things fixed around here." said Renton as they walked inside the cabin. "If we work hard enough, we'll have a real nice home within a few days time."

"Sounds great dear." Eureka replied as they set their stuff down. "I wonder if there's any power in here."

"Well find out in a second. Let me check the breaker box." As Renton started flipping the switches to the fuse box, the cabin luckily lit up with light. "Well, at least we know the electricity still works. I'll check the water in a few minutes."

"That's fine Renton. Why are there white sheets on the furniture?"

"To help keep any dust off. See?" and as he pulled the cover off the sofa, a plume of dust went flying into the air, causing them all to cough uncontrollably. "Well, I sure ain't doing that again."

"No we'll be more careful with the rest of them." Eureka replied.

"Hey papa, why is there three bedrooms back here?" asked Maeter.

"By the way it looks Maeter, you get your own bedroom."

"Cool!" she yelled.

"Hey, why does Maeter get her own room?" asked Linck.

"Well, your sister is getting older now. So she needs her privacy." Eureka replied gently.

"Oh, ok momma." after he said that, he ran into the room that he and Maurice would be sharing.

"Well, let's get to work shall we?" said Renton. And so for the next four or so days, the young family cleaned and repaired the older cabin, making it look like new again. Renton went through all the electrical, water, and heating systems with Maurice, showing him how to make sure things were working right and how to fix them if they weren't. They also went through all the windows and the roof to make sure they weren't leaking. Since they were all in good shape, they didn't have to work on them.

Eureka, Maeter, and Linck were put in charge of cleaning and dusting the home, which turned out to be a tedious job with all the years of dust that had collected. They also took care of the outside of the home, cleaning out the years of weeds that had grown all around it. By the time they were all done, the cabin looked like a brand new home, inside and out.

"Good job everyone, it looks great." said Renton. "I'll check into the place tomorrow to see if it's actually registered to anyone, even though I don't think it was as long as it's been sitting here."

"That's fine. It does look wonderful though." Eureka replied. "Hey Renton, if it doesn't belong to anyone, do you think there's a possibility we can own it?"

"Sure why not. With some convincing downtown, I'm sure we can do it."

"That would be wonderful Renton. It would be our first home together."

"Yeah it would be." he said as he put his arm around his wife. "Do you like that idea kids?"

"I like it! I finally have my own room!" said Maeter. Renton and Eureka laughed at her comment since they both thought it was cute.

"It's cool papa!" said Maurice. "I'm glad you showed me how to work on it."

"Anytime Maurice. What about you Linck? Do you like it?"

"Yeah I do!" he yelled happily.

"That's great to hear kids. I want to thank you all for helping out cleaning and fixing it up. Now let's go inside and relax for the rest of the night in our new home." Renton then took Eureka's hand as they followed the kids inside for the night.

The next day, Renton went to downtown Bellforest to check on the property. When they couldn't find any record of it or of anyone owning it, they gladly made out a deed for them making them the proud new owners of it. Renton was as excited as could be when he returned to their new home. Eureka was outside doing some more gardening and weeding when he got home.

"Eureka! You have to look at this! We just became the luckiest people in the world!"

"Why is that Renton?"

"Well look at this."

"What is it?" she asked while looking at the piece of paper.

"It's a deed."

"What's a deed?"

"A form showing ownership to a home or property."

"Then why is our names on it?"

"I checked into this place and they couldn't find any record of anyone owning it, so they made one up for us, making us the new owners of it.!"

"You mean this house is ours now?"

"Yes it is Eureka."

"That's wonderful Renton!" she said happily as she kissed and hugged her husband. "Kids, did you hear that? We own this now!"

"Yay!" they all replied cheerfully.

"Renton, our dream came true! We own our own home now! We are the luckiest family in the world!"

"Yes we are Eureka. Yes we are."

Two weeks later after three weeks of the young family being gone, the GekkoState still hadn't had any luck finding them, and they knew why they hadn't come back. It was due to Holland and Talho's pushing them around, and the crew constantly let them know that. Morale on the ship was again at an all time low, and Holland and Talho knew that in order to bring it back up, they would have to find them their selves and apologize personally.

"Ken-Goh, watch the ship for us while we're gone. Hilda is in charge of the LFO units along with Axel. The rest of you know what to do."

"Roger that. Just make sure you keep them home this time instead of chasing them off like you did Holland."

"Alright already! You guys have already made that point to us. We'll be staying at Axels place which has a radio in it, so we'll be staying in contact with you at all times. If anything comes up, we'll let you know."

"Ok, good luck you two. I'm sure it'll be a long shot in Bellforest and all, but maybe you'll finally get lucky down there."

"Thanks Ken-Goh. I'm sure we'll need all the luck we can get after what we did to them." Talho replied. "Let's go Holland. Let's find our kids."

"Alright. We're off then. See all of you soon." They then walked towards the hangar, hopped into the 606, and headed towards Bellforest.

When they arrived, Holland and Talho first stopped at Axels to unpack their and their sons things. When they walked into Eureka and Renton's room, Talho started to cry. She missed her only daughter and wanted them back with her.

"Come on Talho, be strong ok? I'm going to go check with the local authorities and city hall to find out if they've been in the area. If they have, they'll be the first to know. You stay here with Stephen and keep an eye on him while I'm gone. If I find anything I'll let you know."

"Ok Holland. Hurry back ok?"

"Don't worry, I will." He then gave Talho a gentle kiss and headed out to find their kids.

"I'm sorry sir, but we haven't seen him at all." said the officer at the desk. Holland's first stop was at the local police station. "But we do know the name and he is the hero of this city. We will keep an eye out for him. If we find him, we'll let you know."

"Ok officer, thank you."

"No problem sir. Have a good day now." Holland then walked out of the police station with a loud sigh and a heavy heart. "Well, scratch that idea. Now to check with city hall." Ten minutes later, he arrived at the small office building hoping he would have some luck there.

"Lets see, Thurston, Thurston. Ah ha! Here we go!" said the clerk at the counter. "Yes, we signed a cabin to him and his wife just three weeks ago."

"You mean he's been here?"

"That was the only time sir. Since he was the hero of this world, we didn't even think of charging him for it."

"I see. Do you know where it is by any chance?"

"No I don't sir. All I know is that it's somewhere in the mountain forest area outside of town. I guess they like how quiet and serene it is up there."

"Ok, thank you very much for your help ma'am. It's greatly appreciated."

"Anytime sir. Good luck on your search."

"Thanks." Holland replied and he left the building. Twenty minutes later, he arrived back at Axels and gave Talho the good news.

"So you're saying that they own their own home now?"

"That's what the lady said. They just signed it over to them about three weeks ago."

"Did they say where it was?"

"All they told me was that it was in the mountain forest region somewhere outside of town."

"That's a huge area though. How will we find them?"

"We'll track the Nirvash's movements with the 606 and maybe the Gekko if they don't spot that first."

"I'd only use the 606 Holland. If they see the Gekko, they may run again."

"That's true. Ok, I'll only use the 606 then. They'll have to come into town sooner or later for supplies and food. I'll track them at that time and get their coordinates. We'll go there after that and hopefully they'll talk to us."

"I sure hope they do Holland."

"So do I Talho. I'm going to go let the Gekko know of the situation. We'll go from there and see what happens."

"Alright Holland." Talho replied. He then went to the radio room and alerted the Gekko of the situation. He also told them to stay back out of radar range so that they wouldn't be seen since they didn't want them to run again. He also told them he'd give them an update as soon as anything else came up.

For the next few days, nothing was seen or heard on the 606's radar. For a moment they were ready to give up and go home, until something finally came up on the radar.

"Hey Talho I think we got them!" yelled Holland.

"Do you think so?"

"Give me a second to confirm it." As the moments ticked on, they almost felt like hours as they waited. "Yes it's them!"

"Great Holland! Where are they going?"

"They're coming into town. Probably for food and supplies. I'll track them when they are on their way home carefully so I don't get noticed. We should be able to see them tonight."

"Good job Holland. We never doubted you."

Two hours later, the Nirvash came back up on the 606's radar as they headed for home. Holland then followed them at a safe distance as not to be seen on their radar. Soon enough, he had the coordinates to where they lived. "Man, talk about living in the middle of nowhere." said Holland to himself as he headed back towards Axels.

"Did you get their location Holland?" asked Talho when he arrived home.

"Yeah I did, and man do they live way out into the woods."

"I guess they really didn't want to be found."

"Probably not. But we need them with us right now. The question is will they come home."

"I hope they do. I miss having them around."

"So do I Talho."

"Ok kids, let's get the groceries put away and then you can go play ok?"

"Ok papa!" they all replied. The life that they had all been living for the past month had been wonderful for them. No battles, fights, arguments, or anything of the sort were in their way. Instead they enjoyed quiet nights in front of the fireplace, time with their kids, quiet walks in the woods, and time to their selves when the kids were in bed. And all of that was enjoyed in their new home. While they were unloading the groceries, Eureka had a worried expression on her face.

"What's the matter Eureka?" asked Renton.

"I thought we were being followed earlier."

"I don't think we were Eureka. If we were, they would've shown up on the radar."

"True. Must be me I guess."

"It's alright. It happens to everyone sometimes. Let's go inside and put our things away. We can all relax by the fireplace afterwards."

"Ok dear." she replied.

"Hey Holland, are we sure about this?" asked Talho as they were flying towards Renton and Eureka's new home. "I don't want them to think we're following them."

"We have to be. We were wrong in the way we treated them, and they need to know that. We also need them with us so we can win this war. It's can't be done without them."

"But what if they refuse Holland? We can't force them to come back you know."

"Yes I realize that. We'll just have to show them that we need them more than anything else in this world, and we do."

"Yeah we do. I just hope they realize that."

"So do I. Well, there they are. Look down towards your left."

"Wow, that's a nice looking place they have there. No wonder no one could find it. It's almost buried by trees."

"Yeah it is, and there's the Nirvash. Looks like we should be able to land next to it."

"Are you ready then Holland?"

"Not really, but we know what we have to do, so let's get it over with."

"Ok, let's do this then." Talho replied as they landed.

At the same time, Renton and Eureka were laying cuddled up on their sofa watching the kids play on the floor when someone knocked on their door.

"Who would be way out here?" asked Renton to himself as he got up and answered the door. When he opened it, he didn't like who he saw.

"Holland. How did you find us? And what do you want?" he asked in an angry tone.

"Relax Renton. We only want to talk."

"Sure you do."

"We do Renton." said Talho. "Can we come in please?"

"Well, I guess you can. Kids, go on outside and play so we can talk ok?"

"Ok papa!" they replied and they ran outside.

"Hi Eureka." said Talho.

"Talho." she replied in a cold, firm tone. It was not a tone that Talho was used to, and it made her a little sad how she said it.

"You two have a nice place set up here." said Holland, trying to break the ice.

"So what do you two want?"

"For all of you to come home Renton."

"We are home Holland." said Eureka. "We aren't going to go back with the way you treated us."

"That's one of the things we wanted to talk to you about." Talho replied. "We want to apologize for all that we did to you. We didn't realize what we had done to you until after you had all left us. The entire crew let us know that everyday that we looked for you."

"They did eh? You deserved it." said Renton.

"And you're right about that, even though I hate to admit it to myself." Holland replied. "I just have a hard time believing we chased you away again."

"Yeah, well, you did. You let your so called job get the best of you again."

"Yes we did, and we're sorry for that. It's one mistake we'll probably never live down again."

"So what makes you think we'll come back with you to the Gekko?" asked Eureka.

"Because we need you two more than anything to help win this war. Without you two and the Nirvash, it can't be done." said Talho. "I know it sounds lame, but it's true. Everyone else is relying on you two also. They need you there with them."

"That may be Talho, but we can't work in those kinds of conditions. They're driving us apart up there."

"And we can't have that." Renton continued as he put his arm around Eureka. "We love each other too much to lose each other to a war."

"Were we driving that much of a wedge between you two?" Holland asked.

"Yes you were, which is why we're here now. It helped us avoid that problem before it happened."

"Wow, I didn't think we made it that bad."

"Yes you did. That's why we're afraid to go back."

"And we can't say we blame you at all you two." said Talho. "But our family just isn't complete without you guys being with us. I guess this is the first time we're saying it, but we love you guys. It's like you two are our own kids. We miss all of you."

"We miss you guys too." Eureka replied. "We're just not sure if we're ready to come back yet."

"Well, we're staying at Axel's place right now. We'll be there for a few more days yet, so it'll give you guys time to make your decision. You can contact us anytime while we're there."

"Ok, thank you mom for understanding us." said Eureka as she walked over and gave her a hug.

"Thank you dear. You have no idea how much I needed that."

"Renton, I'm glad we could talk tonight. We'll be at Axel's if you need anything."

"Thanks Holland. We'll let you know what our decision is when the time comes. We'll keep in contact so don't worry."

"Anytime son. Just let us know soon ok?"

"We will don't worry." Renton replied as Holland, Talho, and Stephen climbed into the 606.

"We'll see you guys later then ok?" said Holland. They then started up the 606 and took off into the early evening sky.

"Do you think they'll come back Holland?" asked Talho as they flew home.

"I hope so dear, for everyone's sake."

"What should we do Renton?" asked Eureka as they watched them take off.

"I don't know Eureka. I really don't know."

Two days later, Holland received a call from Renton early in the afternoon.

"What did he want Holland?" asked Talho.

"They just invited us over for dinner. They said they made their decision."

Later on in the afternoon, Holland, Talho, and Stephen arrived at Renton and Eureka's home. Eureka was the first one to greet them.

"Hi mom!" she yelled.

"Well hey you!" said Talho as they climbed down. "I can tell you're in a better mood."

"Yes I am." she replied as she gave her a hug. "Come on inside. Renton's been cooking almost all afternoon."

"Sounds like another huge meal. I hope I can stomach it."

"Oh Holland, come on now." Talho replied as they walked inside.

"Hey everyone!" said Renton when they walked in. "Suppers ready!"

"Smells good Renton. You didn't have to cook this long for us."

"I know. Force of habit I guess." he replied as they all sat down at the table. "Anyways, you know what we called you here for."

"Yes we do. You two made your decision."

"Yes we did."

"What did you two decide?" asked Holland.

"We're coming back to the Gekko, but only under certain terms."

"What terms are those?"

"We're only there to help with the war, and nothing else. No more of just me doing battle reports. We also want more time off, especially as far along as Eureka is getting in her pregnancy. We'll of course help with the regular ship duties, but that's it. My time with Eureka and the kids comes first before anything."

"I don't know if I can work with those terms Renton."

"If you don't, then we don't come back. That's all there is to it Holland."

"We'll do it." said Talho. "I can relate to where they're coming from. I'll agree with them."

"But Talho," Holland replied. "We need them for more than they're asking for."

"No we don't. The rest of the crew can help cover for them. If Renton and Eureka want more time together since she's getting farther along, then they can have it. Family comes first before anything to them, and you know that."

"Ok, fine. We'll do it. But I'm not happy about it."

"Too bad. You'll get over it Holland. I'll make sure of it. Welcome back you two."

"Thanks Talho." Renton replied. "One more thing though."

"And what's that Renton."

"We want to also come back here and stay occasionally whenever possible since this is our new home."

"That's perfectly fine Renton. You guys put a lot of work into this place from what I can tell, so you can come back at any time that you feel the need to."

"Thank you Talho." Eureka replied. "We really appreciate everything that you're doing for us."

"Anytime dear. We're just glad to have you back with us."

"Us too. When do we go back then?"

"Tomorrow Eureka. So all of you had better get ready tonight."

"Ok we will then." said Eureka as they finished dinner. "Thank you for coming over tonight. I guess we'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Plan on it. Thanks for dinner you guys."

"Anytime Talho. See you tomorrow!" said Renton as they were leaving.

"See you later!" yelled Talho as they took off in the 606.

"Well, they agreed to what we wanted. Now lets see if they keep that promise."

"I'm sure they will Renton." said Eureka as she took her husbands hand. "I know Talho will make sure of it. We had better go get ready then."

"Yeah we better. It's time to go finish this war, but on our terms now."


	16. The First Encounter

-1Chapter 16- the first encounter

"Hey Renton, are we sure about this? I mean, us going back to the Gekko?"

"I don't know Eureka. If we don't, what will happen to everyone else?"

"I wish I knew that answer Renton. I just hate the thought of us leaving our new home."

"So so I dear, but we have to finish this once and for all. At least this time you can take it easier on yourself, and Talho said we can come back here anytime we want."

"That's true. At least they agreed to that. They can't deny us staying here at our new home."

"No they can't, and as far along as you are getting with our child, I don't want you taking any unnecessary risks."

"I won't Renton don't worry. I'll take it easy this time I promise."

"That's good. Are we all packed then?"

"Yes we are dear. I'll go check on the kids to see if they are ready."

"Ok Eureka. See you in a few minutes."

"Alright. We'll go to bed afterwards. We'll have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Renton replied. Eureka then left their room to check on the kids.

"Momma, I don't want to share a room with the boys anymore! I like having my own room." said Maeter.

"Well how about we ask Talho if you can have your fathers old room on the ship?

"Can we momma?"

"Sure Maeter why not? I'm sure they won't mind."

"Cool! Thanks Momma!" yelled Maeter as she gave her mom a hug.

"Anytime dear. Now finish getting ready and get into bed alright?"

"Ok." Maeter replied cheerfully.

"Boys, are you two ready to go?" asked Eureka as she walked into their room.

"Yeah we are." Maurice replied.

"Good. Get into bed then. We'll see you in the morning."

"Ok Momma!" they replied. Eureka then walked back down the hall and into her and Renton's room.

"They're all set Renton. We're good to go."

"That's good." Renton replied as she crawled into bed next to him. "Are we all set to do this then?"

"Yeah I think so. I just hope this all ends before the baby comes."

"If this war isn't over by that time oh well. I'll make sure we're out of it and here at home before that time comes."

"You will Renton?"

"Of course Eureka. You know that you and the kids come first before anything."

"I know we do. I'm just worried that's all."

"That's fine. I'm worried too believe me. But I'll protect all of you, I promise."

"I know you will Renton. Thank you for being so wonderful to us."

"I wouldn't be a husband if I wasn't Eureka. Now lets get some sleep ourselves. I'm sure the crew will have a large welcome for us when we return to the ship."

"Yeah perhaps they will. Goodnight Renton."

"Goodnight Eureka. See you in the morning." Eureka then laid her head and left hand on Renton as the two fell into a deep peaceful sleep.

The next morning, Talho, Holland, and Stephen arrived at Renton and Eureka's, hearing no sound at all inside.

"Are they even awake in there?" asked Holland as they walked towards the home.

"I'm not sure. Doesn't sound like it. I wonder if the door is open?" Carefully Talho turned the doorknob and the door slowly creaked open. "Shall we?"

"I don't know Talho. They may get mad at us if we just walk in on them."

"Nah, they'll be fine if we wake them up right." said Talho as they quietly walked in.

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see." Talho replied as they looked into Renton and Eureka's room. "Aren't they cute sleeping together?"

"Yeah they are happy together." said Holland with a smile. "Now how do you plan on waking them up?"

"Come with me and you'll find out." said Talho as they headed towards the kitchen.

"I think I already know where you're going with this Talho."

"Good. Lets get cooking then."

About thirty minutes later, the young couple finally began to stir as the smells of food filled the home.

"Hey Renton, who's cooking? It smells good in here." said Eureka groggily.

"I'm not sure. I don't think the kids can do anything. Let's go to the kitchen and find out." Slowly Renton and Eureka got up and went towards the kitchen. They were surprised at who they saw in the kitchen.

"Well good morning you sleepyheads!" said Talho with a giggle. "Breakfast is ready for you guys. I hope you don't mind."

"No we don't. How did you get in though?" asked Renton.

"You left your door unlocked." Holland replied.

"Oh, ok." said Renton laughing.

"I'll go wake the kids up dear."

"Ok Eureka."

"Hold on, I'll go with you." said Talho as she followed her.

"So Renton, are you guys ready to come back then?" asked Holland as they sat down at the table.

"Not really, but we know what we have to do. That's why we're coming back. To finish this thing once and for all."

"I'm glad you did. I know it's not what you wanted for your family, but I want to thank you for putting up with us."

"Anytime Holland. Just don't get used to it." Renton replied with a chuckle. Right at that moment, Eureka, Talho, and the kids walked into the dining room.

"Hey kids."

"Hi Papa!" they all replied.

"Breakfast is ready, so dig in you guys."

"Hey Holland, I just approved another request for Eureka." said Talho.

"What did you do this time?"

"Gave Maeter her own room since she's getting older."

"Where? We don't have any other rooms left."

"Renton's old room."

"But we turned that back into a storage room."

"Well, now we can un-clutter it. It's time she had her own room anyways."

"Well, I guess that's fine. We have plenty of other storage on the ship anyways."

"Yay! Thank you Holland!" yelled Maeter as she hugged him.

"Sure Maeter. I guess it's just too hard to say no to that cute little face of yours."

"Yeah it is." said Talho as the ate. "It's hard to when they're that young."

"I know. Anyways, is everyone all packed and ready to go?"

"Yeah we are Holland. All we have to do is get dressed, cleaned up, and loaded up." Renton replied.

"That's good Renton. I'm sorry we had to do it like this though."

"Don't worry about it Holland. The main thing is that we're getting along again."

"Yeah that's true. Are we all done eating then?"

"Yes it looks that way." Eureka replied. "You all done kids?"

"Yes momma."

"Ok why don't all of you go get cleaned up and ready to go. Me and Holland will clean up around here since we made the mess."

"Ok thanks Talho. Come on children, let's get ready to go."

"Ok momma!" they replied as they followed Eureka and Renton to the back of the house.

"Well, at least they're coming home with us." said Talho as her and Holland were cleaning up after breakfast.

"I don't think they're too happy about it though from the way Renton sounds, but he did say that they know what they have to do."

"I'm glad they do. I'm just glad to have our kids back with us."

"So am I Talho. So am I."

One hour later after they all made sure the house was clean, power and water were off, and all locked up, they loaded up the Nirvash and headed back towards the Gekko.

"Hey Holland, how long do we have before we find the Gekko?" asked Renton over the radio.

"Not long at all Renton. They have actually been circling the area since me and Talho arrived in Bellforest looking for you guys. They've just been out of sight."

"They've been here the entire time!?"

"Yes they have Renton. Sorry we didn't tell you earlier."

"It's alright Holland. I expect things like this out of you anyways."

"Yeah, that's true. Anyways, there's the Gekko up ahead, a little to your left."

"Roger that."

"606 and Nirvash are heading towards the ship!!" said Gidget happily.

"They actually got them to come home." said Ken-goh. "Gidget, open the landing ramp."

"Roger!"

"Doggie, maintain your speed and adjust your course to match theirs."

"Roger that."

"Gidget, alert the others that our young family is coming home. Have everyone meet them in the Hangar."

"Right!" Gidget replied. She then alerted the crew what was going on over the ships P.A system.

"Oh my god I'm so excited to see them!" said Anemone as they waited in the hangar for them to land. "I wonder how much Eureka is showing from the baby?"

"She should be showing pretty well by now. She is almost halfway through her pregnancy you know." said Hilda.

"Hey there they are now!" yelled Matthieu. As the crew looked on, the 606 and Nirvash got closer and closer to the ship. Within a few minutes, they were both landed and secured onto the ship.

"Sis!" yelled Anemone as Eureka slowly climbed down off the Nirvash.

"Hi Anemone." Eureka replied happily.

"Hold on Eureka. Let me help you down." said Dominic.

"Thank you Dominic."

"Anytime Eureka." he replied as he helped her down.

"It's good to see you guys again." said Hilda. "Where have you been all this time?"

"At home in Bellforest."

"Where? Holland said you weren't at Axel's at all.

"We were at our place."

"Huh?" Hilda replied as she and the rest of the crew gave them a confused look.

"Me and Renton own our own home now."

"What!!" the crew yelled.

"It's true guys. We now own a cabin in the woods outside of Bellforest. The city just signed it over to us." Renton replied.

"Does that mean you're moving out?" asked Matthieu.

"No not at all." said Renton laughing. "We'll just be staying there occasionally when we ever feel the need to."

"Holland allowed that?"

"Only because Talho made him do it." said Maeter. Everyone on the crew started laughing after she made the comment.

"Ok guys that's enough." said Holland. "I can make decisions around here you know."

"Not without me you can't." said Talho with a laugh.

"Anyways, it's good to have you guys back home with us. It's been depressing around here after you all left us." said Gidget.

"Yeah, sorry about that. But we had to do what we though was best for our family." Renton replied.

"And that's just fine." said Talho as she put a hand on Renton's shoulder. "Now lets go get you guys settled back in ok?"

"Ok."

"I want the rest of you to meet me in the meeting room in fifteen minutes. We have a few quick things that we need to go over."

"Roger!" they all replied.

"Alright kids, let's go get you unpacked."

Fifteen minutes later as planned, everyone had gathered in the meeting room to find out what Talho wanted.

"Ok everyone, listen up. This meeting is in regards to our current situation. I know Renton and Eureka are back with us, but from this point on they won't be fighting with us that much anymore. So we're going go have to pick up the slack a little bit around here."

"Hey that's not fair!" said Matthieu.

"So why aren't they going to fight that much anymore?" asked Hilda.

"Because of two reasons. One is because it was a request from them. The second is because of recommendations from Mischa due to Eureka's pregnancy and how far along she is. So me and Holland made it an order for them to not fight that much unless we need them to. Mischa doesn't want Eureka pushing her limits."

"Well what will they be doing then when they are not able to fight?"

"They'll be helping a lot more to help take care of the ship and all the duties that go along with it."

"That sounds acceptable I guess. I wouldn't want to be out there fighting either if I was pregnant."

"Now what about their home situation? Why did you say that they could go to their new home anytime they wanted?" asked Hap.

"Well, we really can't stop them from going Hap. I don't think it'll be much of a problem though since they'll be taking it easier on the ship."

"Yeah, I guess that's true."

"Anyways, all they requested for otherwise was more family time and a new room for Maeter. Hilda, Gidget, Anemone, we'll all take care of that."

"Where are we going to put her?" asked Anemone.

"In Renton's old room. We'll get to work on it today and hopefully have it finished by tomorrow."

"Sounds like fun!"

"It should be. Anyways that's it for now. If anything else comes up we'll let all of you know later. Dismissed."

A little while later after the meeting, the four women were hard at work working on Maeter's new room.

"Well, we got it cleaned out, now what do we do?"

"We go down in storage, pull out a twin bed for her, add a little paint here and there in her favorite colors, add a small dresser and we should be all set."

"Sounds like a plan to me. Will we be done tomorrow then?"

"We should be with no problem. Good job everyone. See all of you back here tomorrow." said Talho. As the women left and went in their own directions, a sudden explosion rocked the ship, knocking them off their feet.

"Are we under attack again?" yelled Hilda.

"Looks that way!" Talho replied. "You and Anemone get to your LFO's! I'll get Dominic, Holland, and Matthieu on their way!"

"Roger that!" they replied. As Talho got up and ran to the bridge, she almost immediately bumped into Renton.

"Talho, what's going on?"

"We're under attack Renton. Just keep Eureka and the kids safe."

"Alright I will, I promise."

"Good. Get to your room and stay there. We'll let you know when it's safe."

"Roger that." he replied. Renton then ran down the hall to look for his wife and kids.

"606 launching now!" yelled Matthieu.

"808 your next!"

"Roger that! Taking off now!" and she jetted off the catapult.

"909 heading out!" and he launched off the ship.

"Venturion launching now!!" yelled Anemone and they took off from the ship.

"All of you guys be careful out there!"

"Don't worry Talho we will!" Holland replied. "Alright team, let's see who we're dealing with."

"Roger that!"

"Eureka, are you and the kids ok?" asked Renton. He had found them sitting in their room cuddled up close on the bed.

"Yes we're fine Renton. How about you?"

"I'm ok Eureka." he replied as he sat down next to his family.

"Aren't we going to go out and help them?"

"Only if we have to dear. Hopefully they can handle themselves out there."

"Holland, who are these guys? I've never seen them before!" said Matthieu in the 606.

"I don't know. I've never seen these LFO's before!"

"I have." Anemone replied in the Venturion. "They're similar to LFO's that I've worked with before."

"What do you mean?"

"I think… it's the Ageha squad."

"Alright. Everyone engage now! Let's see what those brats are capable of."

"Right!" they all replied.

"So those guys think they can take one the Ageha squad? They should be nothing to us, even with their new LFO. Let's show them what real pilots can do!"

"Roger that!" the others replied.

"909, watch out for their main weapon! They are able to unite all their energy and shoot it off in one large powerful shot if we let them!"

"Roger that Venturion! Thanks for the warning! Let's take them out while we have the chance!" Just as the group was about to launch their own attack against the new enemies, the Ageha squad reacted first by taking out the ref board on the 808.

"Hilda!!" yelled Matthieu as he dived after her in the 606.

"808" has been taken out and the 606 is recovering! 909 and the Venturion are having a hard time keeping up with the rest of them!" yelled Gidget.

"Talho, three of the rebel units are heading in our direction!" yelled Woz.

"Doggie, evasive maneuvers!"

"Roger that!" he replied.

"Ken-Goh, arm the missiles and lasers!"

"They're armed and ready!"

"Alright, fire at will with everything we got!"

"Roger! Firing lasers and missiles now!" After he said that, a barrage of missile and laser fire left the Gekko, hitting one of the rebel units before it could react.

"Recover our damaged unit. I'm going after the GekkoState!" said the head unit.

"Roger that!" the second LFO replied.

"The other two try to follow me! We're going to show them who's boss around here!"

"Nirvash heading out!" yelled Renton over the radio.

"Renton, you guys get out of there! We've got it handled here!" yelled Talho.

"No you don't. So let us help! Launching now!" and they launched off the catapult.

"Dammit! Venturion, keep them covered!"

"Gekko, Roger that!" yelled Dominic.

"Venturion, this is the Nirvash! How about we team up and do this together!"

"Alright let's do it!" Anemone replied. With that said, Renton and Eureka pulled up and activated the Amita drive, causing that ever familiar green light and a seventh swell effect that surrounded both the Nirvash and Venturion.

"What is this? A seventh swell with two LFO's?! That's impossible!" yelled the leader of the Ageha squad.

"How can this happen? Leader we must retreat!"

"Roger that! Everyone leave now!"

"Right!" they all replied but they were too late. The Nirvash and Venturion had rushed in before they could scatter and attacked, taking out all their weapons and boards, also avoiding killing them since Renton and Eureka hated to kill unless absolutely necessary. Unfortunately it wasn't before the Gekko and the other LFO units took some damage.

"Good job everyone. Thanks for the support Nirvash."

"Roger that 909. Anytime."

"Alright, everyone get back to the ship. Let's try to get any damage we incurred assessed."

"Roger that." everyone replied as they all started flying back to the ship. As they flew along, Eureka quietly said "Hey, Renton?"

"Yes Eureka?"

"I….. don't feel so well." Right after she said that, she passed out.

"Eureka! Crap!" Renton then went into jet plane mode and took off at full speed towards the Gekko.

When Renton got landed and secured, Talho was the first one to meet him in the hangar since he never answered the radio.

"Renton, what's wrong?" she asked when he opened the canopy.

"It's Eureka! She passed out on the way back to the ship!"

"What?! Let's get her out of there and up to Mischa right away!"

"Right!"

Fifteen minutes later, Holland ran into Renton and Talho who were standing in front of Mischa's office.

"So what's going on?" he asked.

"Eureka passed out in the Nirvash on the way back to the ship. Mischa is looking at her right now." Talho replied.

"I see. How are you holding up Renton?"

"As well as can be expected I guess until we hear something from Mischa."

"I understand how you feel. Why don't you go to your room and get some rest. We'll send Mischa down your way when we hear something ok?"

"Alright. Thank you Holland." Renton then walked down the hall towards their room.

"Come on Talho, let's do the same in our room. It's been a long day and we could use it."

"Alright Holland, that sounds fine." He then took his wife's hand and they went to their room for the afternoon.

Later on in the evening, Mischa went down to Renton and Eureka's room after telling Holland and Talho of the situation. When she got there, Renton was laying on the bed watching TV.

"Renton?"

"Oh hey Mischa. How is she doing?"

"She's fine Renton. She just strained herself too hard. She's awake now and will be with you shortly."

"That's good. Want me to come help her?"

"I've got it dear." said Eureka from in behind Mischa.

"Eureka, I didn't clear you to leave yet."

"I'm sorry Mischa, but I wanted to be by Renton's side."

Mischa let out a heavy sigh and said "Well, that's fine. But I want you on bed rest for the next few days."

"Ok Mischa, thank you."

"Alright then. I'll be checking in on you from time to time. So make sure you keep an eye on her Renton."

"I will. Thanks Mischa."

"Ok I'll see you later then. Get some rest now." Mischa then turned and left the room.

"Eureka, are you ok?" asked Renton as she crawled into bed.

"Yes I'm fine. I'm just tired that's all."

"Ok, see you in the morning then. I love you."

"I love you too Renton." she replied softly. They then gave each other a small, gentle kiss and Eureka then fell into a nice peaceful sleep.

The next morning, the entire crew minus Renton, Eureka, and the kids, were in the meeting room going over yesterdays battle and damage reports.

"So how are we damage wise?" asked Holland.

"VRF's one and four on the left and number three on the right are damaged. We also lost a little bit of reflection film during the battle." said Hap.

"How about the 808?"

"Luckily it was only my board they took out. The LFO unit itself is just fine." said Hilda.

"Is the board repairable?"

"No it's not." Axel replied. "It was shattered into too many pieces in order for me to repair it. We'll have to have a new one made."

"I see. Mischa, how is Eureka doing?"

"Well, she seems to be doing well so far. Physically and mentally she's fine, but I think the strain of battle and the use of the Amita drive are too much for her and the baby to handle."

"Are you saying we should ground her and the Nirvash?" asked Talho.

"No I'm not at the moment. I have her on bed rest right now. If they do happen to go out again, we'll have to monitor them a lot more closely."

"Alright, we'll do that then. Anemone, do you think this is the last time we'll see the Ageha squad?"

"No I don't. They have Dewey's determination in them. The next time we meet, they'll be fighting with vengeance in their eyes."

"Well, when we do meet again, we'll hopefully be ready for them next time. Holland, what should we do about repairs then?"

"Tresor is the only place we can go for the repairs we need. Hap, is it still in federation territory?"

"Yeah it is. The federation army has extended it's coverage area over there and pushed the rebel forces back. It's as safe as it's ever been before."

"Good. That means we don't have to hide ourselves over there like we did the last time. Doggie, set our course for Tresor. I want Gidget and Woz to keep an eye out for enemy communications and to watch radar. Talho, I want you, Hilda, and Anemone to go finish Maeter's room project. I want everyone else to go over the rest of the ship to make sure there isn't any further damage. I'm going to Eureka and Renton's room to check on Eureka with Mischa. I'll be joining you for inspection shortly after that. Everyone dismissed."

Shortly after the meeting, Holland and Mischa arrived at Renton and Eureka's room. When they walked in, they were laying next to each other on the bed watching cartoons with the kids while they sat on the floor next to them.

"Trying to rot your brain out Renton?" asked Holland with a laugh.

"No, just spending time with the kids."

"I figured that. How are you feeling Eureka?"

"Fine thank you. I'm still a little tired, but that's it so far."

"That's good dear. Can you sit up so I can check your temperature please?" said Mischa.

"Sure." Eureka replied as she slowly sat up. A couple of minutes later as Mischa also checked her pulse, Eureka's temperature came back normal.

"Well, everything looks good so far. Have you eaten yet?"

"Yes I have. Renton made me breakfast earlier."

"That's good. I'll be checking on you later on then. Stay in bed and take it easy."

"I will Mischa. Thank you."

"Anytime dear." Mischa replied as she left the room.

"Hey Renton, can I have you help with an inspection of the ship after the battle?"

"Sure. Kids, keep an eye on your mom ok? I'll be back in a little bit."

"Ok Papa!" they all replied.

"Hurry back Renton." said Eureka.

"I will dear don't worry." Renton then gave her a gentle kiss and walked out of the room with Holland.

"So you two really do believe in family don't you?" asked Holland.

"Yes we do. It's the best way to live in our opinion. To be around the ones you love is the best thing in the world."

"I guess so. Maybe that's a lesson I should start following."

"It wouldn't hurt Holland. To spend time with your family is more important than anything else you can think of. If you spend all your time just fighting this war, you will never know that feeling."

"Well well, point well taken. I guess my time with Talho and Stephen hasn't been much lately. Maybe spending more time with them would be nice for all of us."

"It'll make a big difference believe me. Anyways, I'll take the lower front of the ship, you can take the back half. I'll report if I find anything."

"Alright. See you in a bit." Holland replied. As Renton walked away, Holland thought to himself "Maybe they have something going on when it comes to being a family after all." He then turned the other way and began his inspection.

There it's done!!" exclaimed Talho. Her, Hilda, and Anemone had finally finished Maeter's new room. With a twin bed, a small dresser, and a few flowers painted on the walls, it was a perfect room for a girl.

"Anemone, go find Maeter and bring her down here." said Hilda.

"Alright!" said Anemone excitedly. Since she knew exactly where she was, Anemone headed right towards Renton and Eureka's room. When she got there, the door was open since Mischa was keeping an eye on Eureka.

"Hey Maeter, we got your room done. Want to go see it?"

"Sure! Do you want to come Momma?"

"I'm not sure Maeter. Mischa told me to stay here in bed."

"Oh come on Eureka! I don't think Mischa will mind you being up for a few minutes." said Anemone.

"Yeah. Come on Momma!"

"Ok, let's go see your room then. Anemone, could you stay by me in case I need your help?"

"Sure sis. Let's go." Anemone replied as she helped her sister up. A few minutes later, the group of three arrived at Maeter's new room.

"Wow Momma I love it!" yelled Maeter as she looked at her new room.

"It looks nice Talho. Thank you all for everything."

"Sure Eureka. With Maeter growing up, she needed it. So I'm glad we could help."

"It was a work of love Eureka. We were happy to do it." said Hilda.

"That's what we call family sis. We're here to help each other. You and Renton have show all of us that."

"Yeah, you guys have really shown us what it's like to be a family on this ship. And we wouldn't have it any other way." Talho replied. "Now let's get you back into bed before Mischa finds you up and about."

"Ok." Eureka replied. "Can someone get me some lunch afterwards?"

"I'm on it." said Hilda. "You just get her to her room Talho."

"You got it. Anemone, why don't you go help Hilda."

"Alright. Let's go Hilda."

"Ok." said Hilda with a laugh. "See you in a little bit Eureka."

"See you." Eureka replied. "Let's go mom. I'm starting to feel a little tired.

"Let's get you into bed then." said Talho. Talho then helped Eureka to her room and into bed, where Eureka instantly fell into a nice, comfortable sleep. Talho then went down to the kitchen and told Hilda and Anemone not to worry about Eureka's lunch since she had already fallen asleep, but to go ahead and make lunch for everyone else. And for the first time ever in her life, Eureka dreamed happy, peaceful dreams.


	17. New Life

-1Chapter 17- New life

"Hey Doggie, how many days until we reach Tresor?" asked Holland.

"About two, maybe three days with the loss of the VRF's and the reflection film."

"I see. Alright, keep an eye on the bridge for now. Everyone else is taking a break and getting some sleep. Talho will be up in a little while to relive you so you can also get some sleep."

"Roger that." Doggie replied. "Anything else?"

"No, not at the moment." said Holland as he began to walk away. "Wait, actually there is one more thing."

"What's that?"

"Good job Doggie. We're all proud of you and all the work you've done for us. Thanks."

"Sure leader." Doggie replied with a smile. "Anytime."

"Alright, I'll see you later then."

"Roger."

Life on the GekkoState had done a complete one-eighty since the young Thurston family had returned to them. The entire crew had actually started working together as one complete family unit, and it showed. Everyone got along better, helped each other when needed, and even took care of each other when needed. The entire crew was turning into a complete force to be reckoned with.

When Holland got to their room, Talho was still curled up sound asleep in their bed. This brought a rare warm smile to his face. Just looking at her made him realize the love he had for her and how he had, in a way, neglected being a father and a husband to her and their son. He figured out just then that Renton was right after all. Family is more important than anything else in the world. After he changed into his loungers and crawled into bed, Talho stirred a bit and slowly woke up.

"Hi." she said Gently with a smile.

"Hi. Sorry if I woke you."

"It's ok. I don't mind waking up next to you."

"I'm happy you feel that way. I feel like I've neglected you and Stephen ever since this war started. I'm sorry if I have."

"It's not your fault Holland. It's who you are and it's what you do. I can't say that I blame you."

"Thanks Talho. But I'm going to take Renton's advice and start being more of a family man. I want to start spending more time with you and Stephen. I can't believe I'm actually going to try to follow in his footsteps. He should be following mine."

"Well, he has set an example for all of us on this ship, so I don't see anything wrong with it."

"Yeah I guess you're right Talho. Him and Eureka have done well being a family. On another note, Doggie said we should be in Tresor in about two or three days."

"That's fine. Is everyone resting then?"

"Yeah then are. Doggie is at the controls watching over things. You take over for him in a few hours so you can get a little more sleep."

"That works. Goodnight Holland."

"Goodnight dear." Holland then held Talho close in his arms as they both fell asleep.

A few hours later, Talho woke from her slumber with her head resting on his shoulder. She smiled gently and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. She then carefully got up, changed into her uniform, and went to the cockpit to relieve Doggie.

"Hey Doggie, how are you holding up?" Talho asked when she reached the bridge.

"Tired but ok otherwise. Things have been running normal so far. So there are no problems to report."

"Good job Doggie. Get out of here and get some sleep. I've got it from here."

"Roger that. Thanks." Doggie then left the cockpit and headed towards his room while Talho looked over the controls. A little bit after he left, the rest of the crew started waking up as the ship came alive. The first ones to show up were the kids who ran up and gave Talho a hug.

"Well hey you guys." said Talho as she returned their hugs. "Where are your parents?"

"They're still sleeping." said Maeter.

"I see. Hey, have you guys ever seen how we pilot this ship?"

"No we haven't." Linck replied.

"Want me to show all of you how?"

"SURE!!" they all yelled happily.

A couple of hours later, Renton and Eureka finally started waking up from their slumber.

"Morning love." said Renton.

"Hi dear." Eureka replied a with a warm smile and a kiss. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm great. How about you?"

"I'm feeling much better thank you. I think I've finally gotten all rested from the other day."

"That's good. I wonder where the kids are? Usually they're the first ones to wake us up."

"I don't know. How about we go find them and find out what they're up to."

"Sounds fine to me Eureka. Let's go."

A little bit later, Renton and Eureka arrived in the bridge after not finding the kids anywhere's else.

"Hey Talho, have you seen the kids?" asked Renton.

"Yeah. They're down here with me."

"They are?"

"Yes they are. They have been for the last couple of hours while you were sleeping."

"What have they been doing with you?"

"Flying the ship."

"Say what?"

"Come down here and find out." Talho replied. As Renton and Eureka walked down the stairs, they noticed Talho had the boys on either side of her and Maeter in her lap.

"I guess you were right. Have you kids behaved yourselves?"

"Yes Momma!" they all replied cheerfully.

"They've all had turns at the controls. They did quite well for their first time. I may do this more often." Talho replied.

"That's fine with me. How about you Renton?" asked Eureka.

"If they're doing that well then why not? You have our permission Talho."

"Thanks guys. So are all of you hungry then?"

"I know I am. How about you Eureka?"

"Yes I am. What about you kids?"

"Yes we are Momma!!"

"Ok then. Autopilot on, coordinates are set, let's go."

"Go where Talho?" asked Renton.

"To the dining hall. I'm making breakfast for all of us."

Meanwhile, Dominic and Anemone were finally waking up after a long, wonderful night with each other. For most of the night the two had made love to each other like they had never had before in their marriage. And since it had been a while because of the war, Dominic had been slow and gentle with her the entire time. It had been the happiest night that Anemone had ever had with her husband. It was also one that she would never forget. As they stirred, Anemone found herself still wrapped up tight in her husbands arms. As she looked at him, she smiled with a slight tear in her eyes knowing how much Dominic loved and cared for her. As she tried to keep her happy tears back, Dominic looked at her with a look of love that she had never seen before.

"You ok Anemone?" he asked while looking at her. "You have tears in your eyes."

"I'm just really happy being with you that's all. The way you treated me last night showed me how much you really love me. I just can't wait now until I have your child."

"Neither can I my sweet Anemone. I'm glad you enjoyed our night together with each other."

"Yes I did Dominic. Thank you." she replied as she gently rubbed his face with her hand and gave him a slow, passionate kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too Anemone. How about we get up and get some breakfast. I'll make it for you."

"Sounds great. Let's go."

At the same time, Talho, Eureka, Renton, and the kids has just sat down to enjoy the breakfast that Talho had made for them.

"Looks good mom." said Eureka as she got ready to eat.

"I hope it came out ok. I don't make French toast that often."

"It's awesome Talho. It's really quite good." Renton replied as he ate.

"That's good to hear." Talho said as she took her first bite. "Hey, this is good."

"Mmmhmm, yes it is mom. You did a good job making this." said Eureka.

"Thank you dear. I'm glad you like it."

"Anyways, where's Holland?" asked Renton.

"In bed sleeping. Him and Doggie pulled a late shift last night."

"They did eh? What for?"

"Just to keep an eye on things since the ship is damaged."

"Yeah, that makes sense I guess. So I'm guessing we have to stay at low altitude and away from the high altitude leylines then?"

"Yes we do unfortunately. That's why it's taking so long for us to get to Tresor."

"That's fine I guess. Gives us a little time away from the war."

"That is true. We did need it." Talho replied. At that time, Dominic and Anemone walked into the room with Anemone holding on to Dominic's left arm and her head resting on his shoulder.

"Well hello you two lovebirds. Good morning." said Talho.

"Good morning everybody." Anemone replied cheerfully.

"Well it looks like you're in a good mood today."

"Yes I am. Me and Dominic had a wonderful night together last night."

"I see. I won't ask anything further. I'm glad you two enjoyed yourselves."

"Yes we did." Dominic replied. "What did you guys have for breakfast?"

"Talho made us French toast!!" said Linck Happily. Dominic laughed and said "I see. That actually sounds kind of good. What do you think Anemone?"

"Sure I'll try it. I've never had it before though."

"Well you two just sit down and I'll make it for you." said Talho.

"Well, I was going to make it myself for Anemone, but that's fine. Thanks Talho."

"Anytime you two." Talho replied as she walked into the kitchen.

"Hey Talho, can I ask you a question, even if it is kind of bad timing?"

"Sure dear. What do you need?"

"Well, when Eureka took me in as her sister a little while back, I was wondering if that means I can start calling you mom? I mean I know we haven't known each other that long yet, but I was wondering if that was ok?" When Talho heard that question, she dropped the spatula she was holding and put her hands on the kitchen counter. Tears of happiness then began to fall from her eyes.

"Did I ask something wrong?"

"No not at all Anemone." Talho replied as she walked out of the kitchen and stood in it's entrance. "Could you and Eureka come over here please?" With a worried look to their faces, Eureka and Anemone walked up to Talho who took them in a great big hug. "This world hasn't always been easy for me and Holland. But when Eureka came into our lives, all that finally changed. I am now blessed to have one of the best daughters in the world. And Anemone, if you want to join this family and be a part of me, Holland, Stephen, and Eureka, you are more than welcome to. I would be proud to have you as my second daughter."

"Oh Talho, thank you!!" said Anemone crying.

"Anytime Anemone. I love all of you guys, and nothing will ever change that." Talho replied crying. "Renton, Dominic, I am also proud to have you two as son-in-laws. Renton and Eureka have already given us three wonderful grandchildren with another on the way. Dominic, Anemone, we can't wait until you extend your family also. We would be proud to be the grandparents of your child, even if we are too young to be."

"Thank you Talho, we would be honored." said Dominic with a rare tear to his eyes.

"Oh man, my make-up is running from me crying. And I have to make you two breakfast yet."

"It's ok mom. Thank you for taking me into your family." Anemone replied.

"Sure dear. Now go sit down. I'll have your breakfast ready in a little bit."

Two days later, the GekkoState arrived at Tresor for their repairs. To their surprise, the super Izumo was docked there also.

"Jurgens, surprised to see you here." said Holland after they docked their ship.

"Yeah we had to stop and re-supply our ship. We'll be here a day or two yet."

"I see. We're here primarily for repairs. We ran into the Ageha squad almost a week ago. They caused some damage to the ship and to one of the LFO's. We're all ok though."

"Good to hear. How are Renton and Eureka doing now that they have returned?"

"They're doing fine." said Talho. "Eureka is four months in and is progressing well."

"That's good. How about Anemone and Dominic?"

"Why don't you ask them yourself? Dominic, Anemone, over here!"

"Is that actually them?" asked Jurgens as they were walking up towards them. Dominic was wearing black khaki's, a light blue dress shirt, and black dress shoes. Anemone was wearing a pink spring dress that went down to her ankles with slip on sandals that matched.

"Captain, good to see you again." said Dominic when they arrived.

"Wow, I didn't think it was you when I first saw you. You look completely different."

"Sorry if we're not in uniform captain."

"It's alright. You look better like that anyways. How is life on the Gekko treating you?"

"It's been great sir. It's like a family we've never had before." Anemone replied.

"Oh really? How is that?"

"Well, Talho and Holland were kind enough to take me in as their daughter so that way I have a complete family now with a mom, dad, sister, and a brother. I hope you don't mind."

"No, not at all. I'm happy they did. You deserved it. Thank you Holland and Talho for watching over them."

"We're happy to do it, so no thanks needed." Holland replied.

"Alright then. I had better go check and see how our re-supply is doing. I'll see all of you later."

"Ok Jurgens. See you soon." They then went their separate ways and back to their respective ships.

A couple of days later, Anemone headed down to Mischa's office feeling a little on the strange side. She had a pretty good idea of what it was for some reason, but she wanted to make sure just in case. If it was what she thought it was, she was going to be the happiest woman in the world.

"Hey Mischa, can I have you give me a test really quick?"

"For what Anemone?"

"Well, me and Dominic are starting to try to start a family of our own and I think we might have done it on the first try."

"Ahh I see. Sit over there on the examining table and I'll administer the test ok?"

"Alright. Thanks Mischa."

"No problem dear. Alright, I have the test right here. I'll administer the test right now. We'll see in a couple of minutes how it turns out ok?" As Anemone sat their patiently after Mischa gave her the test, the minutes seemed like hours as her excitement grew. A few minutes later, Mischa returned with her results.

"Well Anemone your assumptions were correct! You are pregnant! Congratulations!"

"That's awesome Mischa!! Thanks a ton!"

"Anytime dear. I'm glad I was able to make your day. Are you going to tell Dominic right away?"

"No, I think I'll make him wait. Have him sweat it out a bit."

"I see." Mischa replied with a laugh. "Anyways here are some meds to help keep any morning sickness down if you get it. Make sure you take them regularly."

"Ok I will. Thanks again for everything Mischa."

"No problem Anemone. I'll see you later. I'll be putting you on regular checkups from now on ok?"

"That's fine. See you later!" Anemone replied happily as she left Mischa's office.

A little while later, Anemone ran into Talho in the hallway by the lounge as she was going over some paperwork.

"Hi mom." said Anemone as she was walking by.

"Oh hi Anemone. Sorry I didn't see you there. I guess I was too involved in my paperwork to notice." Talho replied laughing.

"It's ok. I know how you feel."

"Anyways I talked to Mischa a few minutes ago and she told me that you had stopped by. What were you there for?"

"You remember how me and Dominic wanted to start a family but we weren't sure if we were ready then right?"

"Yeah I do why?"

"Well, we decided that we were ready while Renton and Eureka were out on their honeymoon. We didn't really have time to do anything though until just the other day, which was of course a really romantic night that night. Anyways I started feeling a little strange for some reason so I checked in with Mischa. And come to find out, we're pregnant!!"

"Congratulations you two!! Does Dominic know yet?"

"No not yet. I'm going to make him wait, so can you keep it quiet please?" Talho laughed and said "That's fine. It'll keep him on edge a bit. Anyways, I had better finish my paperwork and check on Stephen. I'll see you later ok?"

"Ok Talho. Bye now!!" and they went on their separate ways.

"Dr.Morita, how are the repairs going?" asked Holland.

"Well hello Holland. They're going well but slow. We're still having problems with some of our supply ships getting hijacked. Two out of the three VRF's that were damaged we were able to repair right away. Your number three on the right we have to replace. As for your board for the 808 and the reflection film for the ship, it'll be about another three days to a week before everything comes in. After that things should go rather quickly."

"Man, it's going to take that long?"

"I'm sorry Holland. This war hasn't made things any easier for us since we also became a supply depot for the federation fleet."

"Don't worry about it doc. I know it's not your fault so take your time. I'm going to go let Jurgens know so that way they know to keep us covered. I'll catch you later then."

"Take it easy Holland. See you later." Morita replied.

"So it's going to take you that long to get back in the air eh?" said Jurgens.

"Yeah and unfortunately it's beyond our control. It'll be a bit before the parts come in." Holland replied.

"I see. What do you want me to do about it?"

"Just make sure that we're covered over here. We still have four good LFO's left so we'll be helping with regular patrols just so we're doing our part to help."

"That's fine. Most likely we won't be in the area but I have other ships that will be so don't worry about anything. Just make sure you keep your end of the deal."

"And what would that be Jurgens?"

"Keeping that young family along with Dominic and Anemone safe. We need all of them to be safe in order to win this thing."

"Why do you say that?"

"There's some information that we never told you about the Venturion."

"And what's that?"

"It was the second archetype that was ever found. The way it was formed when it was found was the same as the type zero. Since they could never find the right pilots for it, it was kept stored away until we someday could. When the type zero The end was lost, we immediately put Anemone in it to see what would happen. When nothing did, we were ready to give up on it. But when Dominic was put in it with her for the very first time, it worked just like the Nirvash did. That's when it got it's final name, Type Zero the Venturion. When we eventually paired it up with the Nirvash Type Zero with you guys on the Gekko, it finally realized it's true potential and was able to react with it. That's why it has gotten stronger lately. All four of them need to be together in order for them to reach their final true potential."

"Wait a minute!! That means….."

"Yes Holland. Dominic was a second chosen one. We all know that Anemone isn't a Earth born coralian, but she is one none the less. That's why we need you guys to protect her with all your might."

"I see. That definitely puts a lot more pressure on the situation. But we'll protect her and Dominic not to worry."

"Thank you Holland. We'll be heading out later on this afternoon. Take care of yourselves and we'll see you again soon enough."

"You too Jurgens. Thanks for the information. You take it easy out there you hear?"

"We will Holland, and thanks again." Jurgens then left the hangar where the Gekko was stationed and headed back towards the Super Izumo.

"Well Holland, what's next?" asked Talho after he returned to the ship.

"We wait."

"For what? Aren't they going to fix the ship?"

"They can't right now. We need a new board made, a new VRF for the right side number three, and some new reflection film. Morita said it could take anywhere's from three to seven days until they get all the parts they need."

"What do we do until then?"

"We help with patrolling the area with the remaining LFO's so that way we're doing our part to help. There's nothing we can do otherwise."

"I see. Anything else I need to know about?"

"Actually there is." Holland then told Talho the information that Jurgens had just relayed to him.

"Wow, that sure puts a cramp on things. That would also explain the seventh swell effect that surrounded both of them."

"Yes Talho it does. Now we have four people we have to protect."

"Better make that six Holland."

"What do you mean?"

"Did you forget about Renton and Eureka's baby?"

"Yeah I did. Sorry about that. But that still makes only five. Where are you getting six from?"

"Anemone and Dominic have been trying to start their own family and they finally succeeded."

"You mean she's pregnant now?!"

"Yes she is Holland. She just found out a little bit ago."

"Oh man. Does Dominic know yet?"

"No not yet. Anemone is going to make him wait and sweat it out a bit."

"I see." Holland replied with a laugh. "That'll annoy him a bit. Anyways, have the Venturion and the 606 go out on the first patrol. Me and the Nirvash will go out later for the second one. We'll alternate shifts and partners as needed."

"Roger that."

For the next several days, the crew alternated their patrol shifts as needed to cover the area. They ran into the occasional rebel LFO or ground unit here or there who tried to sneak in, but that was it. Dominic was going crazy during those days since Anemone nor anyone else who knew (which was only Holland, Talho, and Mischa.) would tell him what she was hiding from him. The parts for the Gekko and the 808 had arrived within four days of Holland talking to Morita. His crew had gotten to work on both of them as soon as the parts arrived. Within another four days time after that, the Gekko and the board for the 808 were done and ready to go.

"Morita, thank you once again for all you hard work. You've done well as always."

"You don't have to thank me Holland. It's part of our job these days, so we're used to it."

"Well we owe you a thanks anyways. Since it's early in the evening, we'll be taking off in the morning so we can all get a fresh start. You had better go get some rest yourself. It looks like you could use it."

"Yeah I will. Thanks Holland. By the way, what are all of you guys doing tonight?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, we're having a formal dance tonight to help everyone loosen up a bit. How about all of you join us?"

"I think we can do that."

"Great. It's five thirty now and the dance starts at eight, so you all have time to get ready."

"Sounds good. Thanks for the invite."

"Anytime Holland. See you at eight."

"Sure will. Where is it being held by the way?"

"Hangar number two. Decorators have been working on it all day so it should be nice."

"Alright. See you there."

Shortly after that, Holland had everyone meet in the lounge to tell them of the announcement.

"So now you all know about the dance tonight. It should give you all time to get ready and down there. See you when you do!!" after Holland said that, him and Talho left to get ready.

"What am I going to wear Renton? All I have is my wedding dress."

"I don't know Eureka."

"I do!!" Anemone replied. "Come with me sis. Dominic, come get your suit and get changed in Renton's room."

"Yes dear." After that they all left the room.

"Hey Anemone, what are you doing?" asked Eureka when they got to her room.

"You'll see in a minute!" she replied. A few seconds later, she came out of their closet with two dresses.

"I got these on impulse one day." she said while holding up two dresses. One was a red sequin floor length gown while the other one was a silver floor length gown. "I haven't had the chance to use them since Dominic isn't much of a dancer, but now's the perfect time."

"Why is that Anemone? What does that have to do with me?"

"You get to use one!"

"Really? Thank you Anemone!!"

"Anytime sis!! Now with your eye and hair color, I think the silver one will work best. It may be a little snug due to the baby, but I think it'll work out well for you. So let's get changed and ready."

"Hey Dominic, you look a little upset. Are you alright?" asked Renton.

"Yeah I'm fine Renton. Anemone had been keeping some sort of secret from me and it's driving me nuts!"

"Ahh ok so that's why you've been the way you have lately." Renton replied laughing.

"Yeah Renton you guessed it."

"I guess so. I'm glad we kept our suits though. I didn't think we'd get to use them again."

"There's no doubting that point. I wonder what Anemone has planned for her and Eureka?"

"Who knows Dominic. We'll find out soon enough I guess." At that moment, Doggie knocked on the door.

"Come in!" yelled Renton. Doggie then walked into the room.

"Thanks Renton. Can I talk to you guys about something?"

"Sure. What about?" asked Dominic.

"It's about Gidget. I know how she feels about me and I want to tell her how I feel about her, but I'm not sure how to do it."

"I can't believe you haven't yet!! I thought you would have by now!" said Renton.

"Yes I know! It's just that every time I see her, I get nervous and just can't say anything."

"All I can tell you to do is relax and go with the flow." said Dominic.

"Not only that." Renton replied. "When the time is right tonight, just be calm and let her know how you feel. Just make sure you do it tonight."

"Yeah you're right guys. Thanks."

"Anytime Doggie. See you down there!" Said Dominic.

"Right! See you soon!" Doggie replied as he walked out the door.

"Well, we sure handled that well." said Dominic.

"Hey, all we can do is try." Renton replied as the men put their suit coats on. Just then their two wives walked into the room.

"What do you think boys?" asked Anemone. Renton and Dominic just stood there with their jaws dropped almost all the way to the floor. The two were just awe struck at how beautiful and gorgeous they looked.

"Hey Eureka, I think we got their attention."

"I think you're right." Eureka replied as she walked up to Renton. "What do you think Renton."

"You look absolutely gorgeous Eureka. I can't believe its you."

"I'm glad you like it." she replied as she stepped up and gave him a passionate kiss.

"You look amazing yourself Anemone. I would have never guessed that you would look this good."

"I'm glad you feel that way." said Anemone as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You don't look bad yourself."

"Well, how about we get to the dance and knock them off their feet Anemone?"

"Sounds good to me sis. Let's go boys."

"Wow Holland, everyone looks great tonight." said Talho.

"Yes they do. The dance starts in a few minutes and we haven't seen our two young couples yet. I wonder where they are?"

"You don't have to ask. Look over there." Talho replied as she pointed towards the partially open hangar doors. When he looked, the entire Gekko crew stared in awe as the young couples walked towards them.

"Hi everyone." said Eureka.

"You guys look amazing! Talk about the belles of the ball!" said Hilda.

"No kidding. Where did you get that dress Eureka?" asked Gidget.

"Anemone let me borrow it for tonight."

"Well I'll do you one better Eureka since you've helped me out a couple of times. You can have it. It looks better on you anyways."

"Thank you sis!"

"Anytime Eureka."

"Hey there's the music! Shall we dance dear?"

"Sure Eureka. Let's dance."

As the evening went on, the entire Tresor and Gekko crews enjoyed a grand evening of dancing, eating, and chatting amongst each other. Along the way, a couple of relationships blossomed. During the middle of the dance, Dominic and Anemone were dancing close to each other in a loving embrace.

"It's been a wonderful night tonight hasn't it?" asked Anemone.

"Yes it has. The staff here at Tresor did a wonderful job organizing this."

"Hey Dominic, do you want to know what I've been keeping from you?"

"It'd be nice. You've been driving me nuts almost all week."

"That was the point dear."

"Oh really?" said Dominic with a slight laugh. "What is it then?" Anemone then took Dominic' right hand and put it near her stomach.

"ahh, Anemone, what are you doing?"

"Don't you understand Dominic?"

"What do you want me to understand Anemone?"

"Silly, there's a child in there." she said softly.

"What? You mean….."

"Yes dear. We're having a baby. You're going to be a father."

"That's wonderful!!" Dominic yelled as he picked her up in a huge hug and spun them around.

"Looks like Anemone finally told Dominic." said Talho.

"It does look that way." Holland replied as he put his arm around her. Meanwhile on the other side of the hangar…..

"Doggie, are you ok? You've been acting strange all night." He let out a heavy sigh and said "Yeah, I'm fine."

"What's wrong then?"

"Well, I just know you feel about me, but I'm afraid, or more like really nervous, to tell you how I feel about you."

"What are you trying to say to me Doggie?" asked Gidget. He then let out another heavy nervous sigh and said "I love you Gidget."

"You….love me?"

"Yeah I do. I'm sorry I couldn't say it before. I was just too nervous to."

"That's alright. You said it now, and that's all that counts." she replied. She then stepped up to him and they kissed for the very first time.

"Hey Talho, do you see what I'm seeing?" said Hilda.

"Yeah I do. It finally happened for them. I didn't think it ever would."

"Neither did I, but I'm glad it did. They were just meant to be."

"Yes they were."

"So, where's Holland?"

"He's sitting at one of the tables holding Stephen. I just came up here to get us all something to drink. How are things going with Matthieu?"

"I've got him hook, line, and sinker and you know it Talho. All I'm waiting on is a ring from him one of these days."

"I see. I'm sure it'll happen one of these days. You just have to make him feel bad enough to do it as bad as he's got it for you."

"That is true, but I won't do that to him. I'll let him do it when he feels comfortable."

"Yeah that is the right way to do it. Anyways I had better go get these drinks over to Holland before he wonders where I am. Have fun!!"

"We will. Later Talho!" As Talho walked over to their table, she noticed Renton and Eureka as well as Morita and one of his associates sitting with him.

"Thanks Talho." said Holland as she sat down.

"No problem. Hey Renton, are you and Eureka enjoying yourselves?"

"Yes we are thanks."

"We just had to stop and rest our feet." said Eureka.

"That's fine. Dr.Morita, who's your lady friend?"

"Oh sorry. This is Dr. Nadia Johansen. She just joined our staff here at Tresor."

"Nice meeting all of you." she said.

"You too Nadia. I'm Talho. This is my husband Holland Novak, our son Stephen, our adopted daughter Eureka and her husband Renton Thurston.

"Hold on! Are you related to Adrock Thurston at all?"

"Yes I am. He's my father."

"Amazing!! And if I remember correctly, you and your wife are the current saviors of our world!"

"Yes we are, but in a way that's a past we'd like to put behind us. We're looking towards our future as a family together."

"A family? But it looks like you're only having one child."

"We are, but we have three other children." said Eureka.

"Three!? At your young age?" said Nadia. Renton laughed and said "Our other three are adopted Nadia."

"I see. Where are these other three?"

"Around here somewhere with the crew. Not to worry though, they're good kids."

"Hey Renton, our favorite song from our wedding is on! Let's dance!"

"Ok dear." said Renton laughing as she pulled him out of his chair. "Nice meeting you Nadia!"

"You too Renton and Eureka!" she replied as they walked off to the dance floor. "Sounds like they have a nice family."

"Yes they do." said Holland. "And we're proud of them for raising the kids as well as they have. They're a nice addition to our crew."

"I bet." Nadia replied.

"Anyways, we better dance some more ourselves dear. We can't let all the crew have all the fun."

"Alright Talho. Good meeting you Dr. Johansen. Morita, we'll see you later."

"Later you two!" Morita replied.

"Renton Thurston. I'll have to look more into you." Nadia though to herself.

The next morning before they took off, Holland let off a couple of announcements.

"First of all, I want to congratulate Anemone and Dominic. Since you all didn't know, I will tell you. The two wanted to start a family of their own and now they are. Anemone just found out about a week ago that they are now expecting their first child together." The room erupted in applause of the first announcement.

"Second of all," said Holland as he quieted the crew down. "I want to also congratulate Doggie and Gidget for finally getting together. We wish you two all the luck in the world in your ventures. Now everyone get to your stations. We're taking off!!"

"Right!" they all replied.


	18. Fight for love

-1Chapter 18- fight for love

"Hey Holland, how are we looking so far?" asked Talho.

"Not good. The rebel alliance is gaining strength. If we, or should is say the federation fleet, doesn't get moving soon, we'll be in a heap of trouble."

"But how is that happening?"

"They're aiming all their propaganda at people who still believe in exterminating all scab coral and all coralian life forms."

"That's going to make things dangerous for Eureka and Anemone."

"Yes Talho it will. How are they doing by the way?"

"Great so far. Anemone is happier than ever and so is Eureka. Our daughters are really happy with where they're at."

"Good to hear. How about the boys?"

"I think they're afraid that they are getting double teamed on by the girls. It's actually quite hilarious if you pay attention to them."

"What are they doing then?"

"Working on the LFO's and hiding from them." Holland just laughed and said "Now that's funny."

"I know isn't it? I feel sorry for them already."

"So do I now that you mention it."

"Anyways, what time is it?"

"About five I think. I wonder what we're having tonight?"

"I don't know. Depends on if someone is actually cooking or if we're fending for ourselves tonight."

"Well I for one are fending for myself. There's a nice apple pie in the fridge that's calling my name."

"Oh no you don't!! That's mine!"

"You wish!" she yelled back at him as he chased her down the hallway laughing.

"Hey Renton, why are we always down here working on the LFO's?" asked Dominic.

"For one, we need to because of the wear and tear they get from the battles, and two, you should know the other reason."

"Yeah Renton I do. Ever since Anemone got pregnant, her and Eureka have been inseperable. I can't even spend any time with her anymore. I just get ignored."

"So do I, so don't feel bad. They sure haven't been the same lately."

"No they haven't. And to tell you the truth, I miss that. I enjoyed my time alone with Anemone. It was great."

"Same here with Eureka. They only time I see her now is at bedtime, and we don't even talk then anymore."

"That's terrible. I hope things get better for us soon."

"You aren't kidding there Dominic." Renton replied as he continued the work he was doing on the 808.

"Anemone, Eureka, are you two still hanging out with each other?" asked Hilda.

"Yeah we are, why?" Anemone replied.

"Well, it just seems like you two are ignoring your husbands with all the time you two spend together that's all."

"I don't think we've ignored them at all, or have we?" asked Eureka.

"I don't know. When was the last time either of you talked to your husbands?" asked Hilda.

"I'm not sure. We've hardly talked at all in a couple of weeks. We don't even talk at bedtime anymore like we used to do."

"Come to think of it, neither do me or Dominic. I wonder why that is?"

"It's plain and simple Anemone. You two have completely ignored them with all the time you're spending together."

"Yeah I guess you're right Hilda. I'm going to go talk to Renton and straighten things out with him."

"And me with Dominic. I just can't believe we did this to them." Anemone replied. "Thanks for bringing it up Hilda. Where are they now?"

"In the hangar working on my 808."

"Alright, come on Eureka. We owe our husbands an apology."

A little bit later, the two women arrived at the hangar to see the men still working on the 808. Renton was working underneath it while Dominic was working up above.

"Hey guys." said Anemone.

"Hi ladies." Dominic replied.

"What, no hello Renton?"

"Oh, hi."

"Well, that was a friendly hello."

"Yeah, whatever." Renton replied as he continued working.

"Anyways, can we talk in private Dominic?"

"Sure dear. See you in a bit Renton."

"Ok Dominic." he replied as they left.

"Hey Renton, can we talk to?" asked Eureka.

"Not now. Maybe later. I have to get this work on the 808 done."

"Bud Dominic was able to leave. Why can't you?"

"I said later Eureka."

"But Renton."

"I said Later, ok?" Tears of sadness then filled Eureka's eye's as she ran out of the hangar.

Fifteen minutes later, Talho was walking past Rentons and Eurekas room after checking on Stephen. As she did, she thought she heard someone crying inside. Curious, she knocked on the door.

"GO AWAY!!" Eureka yelled.

"Eureka, are you ok?" asked Talho as she walked in.

"Oh, sorry Talho. Yes, I'm fine."

"No you're not dear. You've been crying. What's wrong?" Eureka's eyes then filled with tears again as she broke down and hugged her. Talho just sat there with her on their bed and held her for about another ten minutes as she calmed and reassured her letting her know that everything would be ok. When Eureka calmed down enough, Talho asked her again what was going on.

"It's Renton mom."

"What did he do?" Eureaka then explained to Talho the whole situation.

"You mean when you tried talking to him he didn't want to?"

"No he didn't. He just rudely and coldly turned me down. It was like the 808 was more important to him."

"Well that little jerk. You go and try to correct a mistake you made and he treats you like dirt. I'm going to show him a thing or two about treating a woman right."

"What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry about it. Just stay here and relax ok?"

"Alright. Thanks Talho."

"Anytime dear." Talho replied as she gave Eureka a gentle hug. She then walked out of the room and headed towards the hangar at a furious pace. When she got there she couldn't see him, but she could hear him working.

"Renton, where are you?"

"Under the 808. What do you want Talho?"

"To talk to you, you little jerk."

"Later. I'm busy alright." His reply infuriated Talho even more. She then grabbed his shirt collar and yanked him out from under the 808, nearly choking him in the process. "Geez Talho, what's your problem?"

"You are. Who do you think you are taking the 808 over your own wife?"

"Well I've got work to do. I told her we'd talk later." His response made Talho even madder yet.

SLAP!!!

"Hey, what was that for?"

"You idiot!! You picked work over her? She wanted to apologize for what she did to you and you just pretty much ignored her and turned her down. That's not like you."

"I'm sure she's fine Talho. Can I get back to work please?"

SLAP!!

"You jerk!! She's not ok! You sent her to your room crying! I found her in tears and had to calm her down. What do you think gives you the right to treat her like that?"

"I did? Wow, I didn't think I had gotten that bad. I guess I had better to talk to her."

"Yes you should. I am also ordering you to stay away from the hangar. Axel will do all the work from now on."

"But Talho….."

"No buts. Now go spend some time with your wife. She misses you."

A little bit later, Renton arrived at their room and found Eureka laying on the bed watching TV.

"Hi dear." said Renton.

"Renton, what happened to your face? It's all red."

"Talho knocked some sense into me. It's ok."

"Oh Renton, I'm so sorry. I didn't know she would do that to you."

"It's alright. I deserved it. Anyways, I want to apologize for being a jerk. It's not me or who I am. I'm sorry."

"And I'm sorry about ignoring you over the last couple of weeks. I should have known better than that."

"It's alright. I guess we both learned a lesson here, and that's not to treat each other badly or ignore each other. So, what's on TV?

"Nothing really. What's more important now is the time I spend with you."

"Yeah, you're right dear. It is." Renton replied. He then took his wife into his arms, layed down next to her, gave her a gentle kiss, and fell asleep next to her with a warm smile on his face.

Meanwhile back at Tresor, in a dimly lit dorm like room, Dr. Johansen, who was just a year older than Renton, was going over all the info she had acquired on him during her free time. Her obsession over him had quickly grown as she read about who he was, what he was like, and how loyal he was to his friends and family. When she read about how he went after Eureka several times in order to save her, Nadia's obsession grew even more.

"So you went after a mere coralian and saved her life. Then you went off and married her and now she is bearing your child. Well all that is going to change. I'm going to find you Renton. I'm going to save you from her and show you what it's like to be with a real woman. So don't you worry my dear Renton, we'll be together soon enough. Just you wait and see." The dimly lit light then turned off as she went to bed, plotting her plan as she slept.

The next morning, everyone was in the dining hall on the GekkoState enjoying a hearty breakfast. As time went on, everyone began to wonder where Renton and Eureka were at. The two had yet to come to breakfast, which was a rarity for them.

"I'll go check on them." said Holland as he stood up. When he got to their room, he noticed the young couple still sleeping together in their usual postion. Renton was on his back with Eureka's head resting on his shoulder, her left hand resting on his chest, and his left arm tightly wrapped around her. Holland just smiled at the scene. He then quietly left the room and called Stoner down.

"Hey leader, what's up?"

"Can you do something for me?"

"Sure. What do you need?"

"Follow me and I'll show you." He then took Stoner down to Renton and Eureka's room and opened the door. "Can you carefully and quietly take a couple of shots of them? I want one for me and Talho then I want you to give the other to them. I think it'll make a nice momento for them."

"Sure. It's a perfect shot. Them being so peaceful in a time of war. It's a wonderful thing. You just can't ask for anything better." Stoner then took the pictures of the two quietly as not to be heard. "I'll have them ready by this afternoon. I'll even frame them for you."

"Thanks Stoner. We'll catch you later then."

"You got it leader."

At the same time at Tresor, Morita and his crew were going over the new KLF prototypes for the federation army. They looked more like LFO's than anything. No longer were they big and blocky looking. They were now more streamlined, faster, and deadlier than ever. They also still carried the same black and blue color scheme.

"Jackson, how are the new prototypes coming along?" asked Morita.

"Fine sir. There are still some minor flaws and bugs we have to work out, but those should hopefully be corrected shortly. We should be ready for final testing sometime this afternoon."

"Sounds great. Go get the test pilots and let them know to get ready."

"Yes sir."

"Dr.Hansen, have you seen Nadia at all? She's one of the people who's supposed to be watching over the completion of these things."

"Sorry Morita but I haven't. It's kind of weird though."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, she's been acting strange lately. Ever since the dance, I see her talking to herself and going over some sort of paperwork all the time. It's like she's obsessed over something."

"Hmmm, that is strange. When was the last time you saw her?"

"At dinnertime yesterday. She was eating by herself with some sort of glazed look in her eyes."

"Alright. Dr.Hansen, you're now in charge of watching over the completion of the KLF's. Sonia, me and you along with a couple of gaurds will check on Nadia and her room. Let's see what's going on with her."

About twenty minutes later, Morita, Sonia, and three gaurds arrived at Nadia's room. When they knocked on her door and she never answered, Morita used his master key card to make entrance into her room. As they searched around and investigated, they noticed a disturbing trend.

"Morita, everything she has here is about Renton! She's got personal info, pictures, facts, stats, and just about everything else you need about a person right here on her computer!!"

"Yes I know. All her paperwork is the same way. But what would she want with him? He's married, has three kids, and another on the way."

"I think I have the answer right here."

"What do you have Sonia?" She then held up a picture of Eureka that said "You will not have him!! Renton is mine!" at the bottom.

"Oh my god, she obsessed with Renton. It looks like she's going to try to take him away from Eureka! Gaurds, find her and put her in a holding cell now!!"

"Right!" they all replied.

"I'll try to alert the Gekko. If I can't reach them, I'll send the alert message through the army and have them relay it. Hopefully we'll find Nadia soon before she tries anything."

"I hope so too. I wonder where she could be hiding at?"

"I don't know Sonia. I just hope we find her before she finds them."

Back on the Gekko, the 909, 606, 808, and Venturion were in the heat of battle taking out yet another rebel base.

"Venturion, watch that machine gun fire!" yelled Holland in the 909.

"Roger that 909. We can't get near the base! Their fire power is too strong!"

"Keep trying! This is one of their main supply bases! It has to be taken out!"

"Roger that!" Anemone replied. Just then a barrage of missle and laser fire flew over them, taking out several of the gun units.

"909, this is the Gekko. Thought you could use a little help!" said Talho over the radio.

"Gekko, roger that. Thanks for the backup. Alright team, let's go!"

"Right!" they all replied.

"Leader, several rebel KLF units coming our way!" yelled Hilda in the 808.

"I see them. You and the 606 try to handle them! Me and the Venturion will handle the base!"

"Roger that!"

"Venturion, let's go! You handle takeing out the rest of the gun turrets! I'll start on the hangars and communications!"

"Right!"

"606, you got two on your tail! I've got three of them, so you're on your own at the moment!"

"Great, thanks!" Matthieu replied. "Alright you rebels, let's see what you're made of!" As the rebels began their pursuit, the 606 turned and charged back at them, firing his laser. But the two of them split off before he had the chance to hit them. "They're getting better at this." he said to himself as he doubled back at them.

"Ok I got one, two to go." said Hilda as the two remaining units charged at her. "These guys are good." As the two remaining fired at her, she launched her anti missle screen to avoid and dodge the missiles. She then doubled back at them through the smoke, firing at them in the process, and eventually taking them both out. "Man, they were tough. I had better go check on Matthieu."

"I can't keep up with these guys!" yelled Matthieu over the radio. "These guys are really skilled!"

"Hang in there Matthieu, I'm coming!" yelled Hilda as she fired at the rebels, taking one out.

"Thanks honey! I got the last one!" Matthieu replied. He then pulled out his scythe blade, charged at the remaining unit, and cut it in half in one clean cut.

"Good job 606! Now lets go help the 909 and the Venturion."

"Right! Let's go!"

"909, all remaining gun turrets have been taken out!" said Dominic over the radio.

"Roger that! I just got their communications. Let's finish off the rest!"

"We'll join you!" said Hilda in the 808 as her and the 606 came towards them.

"Alright team, let's do it. We'll finish it off and go home."

"Right!" They all replied. Twenty minutes later, the base was finished off and completely leveled.

"Good job everyone. That was one of their main supply bases, so it should slow the rebel forces down. Let's head home everyone. It's time we relaxed and got something to eat."

"Roger that!" they all replied.

Fifteen minutes later, everyone was docked and secured back onto the ship, thouroughly exhausted.

"How's everyone doing?" asked Talho as they climbed out.

"We're all ok, just tired and hunry really. How are things here?" asked Holland.

"Ok so far. Dinner is waiting for everyone in the dining hall. Renton and Eureka made it. But don't worry it's nothing huge, just nice and simple this time."

"Sounds great Talho. Let's eat everyone. It's been a long day. Afterwards to to your rooms and get some rest. You deserve it."

Back at Tresor, panic was starting to set in as Nadia Johansen could not be found.

"Gaurds, you checked everywhere right?" asked Morita.

"Yes sir! Gaurds in every section have been on the lookout and she has yet to be seen!"

"Are there any vehicles missing?"

"Negative sir! We checked them first thing. All registered vehicles are here and accounted for."

"I see. Where could she be then?" Just then a sudden explosion rocked the complex and alarms started blaring.

"What's going on?!" asked Morita.

"Hangar ten has been breached!" yelled a guard.

"What? That's where the LosthopE archetype is stored! No, it can't be!"

"LFO leaving hangar ten!" yelled the guard.

"And we have no way of stopping it at this time! Dammit, how could she?" yelled Morita. "Sonia, get in contact with the Gekko now! I don't care how you do it, just do it!"

"Right! I'm on it!"

"The only ones who can stop her now are the Venturion or the Nirvash. And the only way to do it is to destroy it with the pilot inside, unless they can convince her to give up." said Morita in a solem tone as the LosthopE disappeared into the Horizon.

The next morning, an emergency long range communication finally reached the Gekko.

"Leader, emergency communication from Tresor!" said Gidget.

"From way out there? I wonder what's going on? Gidget, put it through!"

"Roger that!"

"Gekko, this is Morita from Tresor, do you copy?"

"Yes Morita, we hear you. What's wrong?"

"Renton and Eureka are in danger!"

"What do you mean?"

"You remember Dr.Johansen from the dance almost three weeks ago right?"

"Yeah I do why?"

"After you all left, she for some reason became obsessed over Renton. Just last night she stole an LFO we were planning on dismantling and is now after him!"

"How do you know this?"

"We went through her room and she had all the info she needed about him. She also had a picture of Eureka saying at the bottom that she would take him away from her!"

"Man. How dangerous is this LFO?"

"All it has are the lasers and scythe blade, but it is deadly accurate and quick. There are only two ways to stop it."

"And what are those?"

"To either convince to give up, or destroy the LFO with her in it. If you don't, it'll use her human spirit to keep fighting unless it is destroyed."

"So we have to either convince her to stop fighting or kill her by destroying the LFO."

"That's the story Holland. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it doc. Thanks for the info. We'll try to keep them in hiding as long as we can, but I know we won't be able to for forever."

"That's fine. Just keep them safe ok Holland?"

"We will. That's a promise."

"Alright. Tresor out."

"Gekko out." and the radio went silent.

"Leader, what are we going to do?" asked Gidget.

"Keep them safe and hidden for now. I'll go let them know what's going on so they can be prepared for what they have to do."

"Roger that."

"Until then, you and Woz keep an eye on radar and communications. If you need anything, just page me alright?"

"Ok." Gidget replied.

A little bit later, Holland found Renton and Eureka in the dining hall having lunch with each other. When they asked him what was wrong, he told them of the situation.

"NO!! SHE CAN'T HAVE RENTON!!" yelled Eureka as she clung to her husband.

"She won't Eureka, don't worry. We'll keep him safe from her." Holland replied.

"How do we stop her?" asked Renton.

"You may not like that answer Renton."

"Why is that Holland?"

"Because in order to stop her, you have to either convince her to give up, or destroy the LFO she stole with her in it."

"You mean we may have to kill her?"

"I'm afraid so Renton."

"Renton, would we really have to? I mean, I know we don't want to kill or hurt anyone."

"If that's what has to be done as a last resort, then we'll have to Eureka. But why us Holland?"

"Because the Nirvash and the Venturion are the only two that have enough power to stop her."

"So what do we do now Holland?" asked Eureka.

"We keep you hidden for as long as we can so that way you can both stay safe. But just make sure you're ready for when the time comes that we have to go against her."

"We will be Holland. Thanks."

"Sure thing. I'm going to go let the rest of the crew know so that way they can get prepared. I'll see you later."

"Alright, see you Holland." Renton replied as Holland left the room.

"Renton, we can't kill her! It's not who we are anymore!"

"I know that! But listen Eureka, I promised you a while ago that I would protect you, and I'm going to keep that promise, no matter what I have to do. I'm going to show her that I belong to no one but you. You're my wife and nothing will change that."

"I know. Thank you Renton, for caring for me like you do."

"It's because I love you dear, and nothing will ever change that." Renton then held her close in his arms and gave her a slow, passionate, reassuring kiss.

The next two days on the ship were real tense as they tried to lay low and keep Eureka and Renton safe. Little did they know, Nadia was closer than they thought.

"Renton, Renton, oh where is my Renton." Nadia sang to herself as she flew along. "Oh, there you are." she said as the Gekko came up on her radar. "Don't you worry Renton, we'll finally be together soon enough."

"Leader, unknown LFO approaching us rapidly! She's firing!!" yelled Woz.

"Crap! Doggie dodge the attack!" Holland yelled, but it was too late.

"Left engine hit! Booster pressure falling! We're losing speed! We won't be able to lose or dodge her attacks now!" yelled Jobs from the engine room.

"Hap! Put us on defcon 1!! Everyone to their battle stations!"

"Right!" they all replied.

"Gidget, have Renton, Eureka, Anemone, and Dominic get to their LFO's! they're the only ones who can stop her!"

"Roger that!"

"Eureka, are you ok?" asked Renton.

"Yeah I'm fine. That explosion just knocked me off my feet that's all."

"Good. Let's go then. It's time we showed her how we fight for love."

"Right! Let's go Renton."

"Leader, we have a communication coming from the LFO!" yelled Gidget.

"Put her through!"

"Roger!"

"Nadia, this is Holland Novak of GekkoState! Back Down! We are willing to talk. Please listen to us!"

"I won't back down! Release Renton at once!" she replied as she fired her laser again.

"VRF number one on the left has been hit!" yelled Hap.

"Nadia please listen! We don't want to fight you!" said Talho.

"I won't fight unless you refuse to release Renton!"

"Venturion heading out!" yelled Anemone.

"Gidget, open the catapult!" yelled Holland.

"Roger that!"

"Alright, launching now!" and they flew off the ship.

"Nirvash heading out!" yelled Eureka and they launched off the ship.

"So you're going to fight me anyways? TAKE THIS!!" and Nadia fired her laser at the Nirvash, missing it as they had dodged to the left to avoid her fire.

"We want to talk Nadia, so stop your attack!!" yelled Renton as they and the Venturion had stopped in front of the Gekko, acting as a sheild for them.

"Renton? You actually came for me?"

"Only to help you Nadia."

"I don't need help!! I need you Renton! You deserve better than that mere coralian girl!!"

"That coralian is my wife! I'll never leave or hurt her! Please Nadia, stop this! Let us help you!"

"But why Renton? Why do you want to hurt me like this?" Renton and Eureka then opened their canopy, stood up, and took each others hands. Anemone and Dominic saw this and did the same.

"We don't want to hurt you nor will we ever hurt you Nadia. Please, come aboard with us. Talk to us. We'll show you how love should be. And if you're worried about us turning you in, we won't. you have my word."

"And mine also." said Eureka.

"Ours too." said Anemone.

"Really? You'd do that for me?"

"Yes we would Nadia." said Anemone. "We're a family here. We'd rather help others than fight them. So please, come with us. We won't harm you."

"But why do I feel this way? Why do I feel like I do about you Renton?"

"I don't know Nadia. But if you explain it to us, we'll help you with it. Please, if not for me, then for everyone else, come with us."

"He's right Nadia." said Talho over the radio. "They all are. Me and Holland also give our word that nothing will happen to you."

"Ok, I'll come aboard. I'll take your word for it."

"Thank you Nadia. You won't regret it, trust me." Renton replied.

"Only because I believe your kind words Renton. Thank you." The Nirvash and Venturion then flew aside and let the LosthopE inside. They then carefully followed right behind her.

When they were all secured, Nadia cautiously climbed out thinking she was going to get rushed. But the GekkoState was true to their word. Renton, Eureka, Anemone, and Dominic stood behind her while Talho greeted her with a blanket and a glass of hot chocolate.

"But, why? Why would you do this for me? Even after all that I did to your ship?"

"That's who we are." Talho replied. "Now how about we get you a hot shower, a good dinner, and some fresh clothes. We'll talk afterwards ok?"

"T-thank you." Nadia replied with tears in her eyes.

"Sure, anytime. Now come on, let's get you settled in."

"Renton, do you think she'll be ok?" asked Eureka.

"I think so. I'm a little nervous having her here, but I think it'll work out." he replied as he put his arm around his wife. "Thank you Dominic and Anemone for the backup and support."

"Anytime, now let's eat. I'm starving!" said Anemone.

"Alright, let's go. It's on me guys." Renton replied as they headed towards the dining hall.

A couple of hours later after Nadia was settled in, fed, and showered, she met with Talho in the lounge.

"Hey Nadia, how are you feeling?"

"Ok I guess. I still feel really bad about what I did to all of you, especially Renton."

"How do you feel about him now?"

"I'm not sure. Seeing how loyal he was to his wife broke my heart, but yet there's still a part that still cares for him. Is there something wrong with me?"

"Not at all. It sounds like you had a crush on him that really went out of control. It turned into an obsession that resulted in you almost getting hurt and our ship getting damaged."

"Yeah I guess it was. I'm sorry to all of you for everything that I did and for damaging your ship."

"It's ok. At least no one got hurt. That's the main thing. The ship is repairable."

"Yeah that's true. Anyways, where is Renton? I feel I should apologize to him and Eureka personally."

"Last I knew they were in their room relaxing. I'll take you down there."

"Thanks. So what happens next?"

"Well, we take the LosthopE back to Tresor to start and get our ship repaired. What will happen to you we don't know. If we can, we'll keep you here with us so we can counsel you and help you through this."

"You'd do that for me?"

"Of course. We help each other through everything here. Anyways, here we are. You ready?"

"Not really, but I owe them, so let's go."

Renton and Eureka were sitting on their sofa cuddled close watching tv when Talho knocked on their door.

"Come in!" said Renton. Talho and Nadia then walked into their room.

"Hey Talho. Nadia, how are you feeling?" asked Renton.

"I'm better thanks to you two." she replied.

"That's good. I'm glad we could help."

"That's what I want to talk to you two about. I want to apologize for putting you two through all of this. I am truly sorry."

"It's alright Nadia, we forgive you. I'm sure you couldn't help it." said Eureka.

"I could have, but I didn't, and it almost cost you two everything that you loved and had."

"But it didn't, and that's what counts. You made the right decision Nadia."

"Thanks Eureka. Listen, I'll see you two later ok?"

"Sure thing Nadia. Take care of yourself, ok?" Renton replied.

"I will, and thanks again." she and Talho then left the room.

"I think you're right Renton. I think she will be ok."

"I hope so dear. I sure hope so." The two then cuddled back up on their sofa and watched TV for the rest of the evening.


	19. New Revelations

-1Chapter 19- new revelations

"Eureka? EUREKA!!" yelled Talho as she ran towards her. Eureka had just collapsed and fallen to the floor of the ship while she was walking the hallways. When Talho got to her, she was curled up in a ball, wincing from pain.

"Mom! The pain, it hurts. What's wrong with my baby?" she asked worryingly.

"I don't know. Hang on dear, I'll go get help!" Talho then quickly ran up the hall to Mischa's office.

"Talho, what's wrong?" asked Mischa as she burst in.

"It's Eureka! There's something's wrong with her. Come on!"

"Right! Nadia, if you want to help redeem yourself, now's the time to do it!"

"Right behind you! Let's go!" she replied. When they got back to Eureka, she was still curled up laying on the floor with Hilda next to her.

"Eureka, what's wrong?" asked Mischa when they got there.

"I don't know. The pains just started. What's going on with my baby?"

"We'll figure that out soon enough. Nadia, get one of the rolling beds out of the medical room now!"

"Right! I'm on it!" she replied as she ran back up the hallway towards the medical room.

"Hilda, Talho, I want you to help me get her on the bed when Nadia gets back."

"Right, we're on it." said Hilda.

"Alright, I got the bed!" said Nadia a minute later.

"Good job. Ok you two, one, two, three, lift!" and they lifted Eureka onto the bed.

"Talho, Hilda, stay with me please." said Eureka as they rolled her to the medical room.

"Sure sweetie. We'll be in the room with you the entire time ok?" said Hilda.

"Thanks Hilda." Eureka replied quietly.

"Sure. Anytime dear." said Talho as they walked into the medical room.

A couple of hours later, Mischa and Nadia finally got Eureka stabilized.

"Is she ok Mischa?" asked Talho.

"Yeah she is. All she had were premature labor pains. The baby is fine and is progressing well."

"That's good to hear." said Hilda with a tone of relief to her voice. "Anything else?"

"Yes. I'm putting her on Bed rest from now on. It'll be the best thing for her and the baby. She only has a few more months left so I want things to be as quiet and as comfortable as possible for her."

"Wait! That means….." said Talho.

"Yes Talho, I'm afraid so. I'm grounding her, which also possibly means grounding the Nirvash also until further notice."

"But we need them Mischa!!"

"Do you want to risk her losing her baby Talho? Do you want that responsibility?"

"No, I don't."

"Fine. You'll follow my orders if you want what's best for her."

"I know. We will don't worry."

"Good. I'll inform Holland of the situation also. Eureka, how are you feeling now?"

"Better I guess. Thanks for everything. You too Nadia."

"Yeah, you did good Nadia. We couldn't have asked for anything better." said Hilda.

"Thanks everyone. It makes me feel better knowing that I can help out around here."

"No problem Nadia. Hey Mischa, is it ok if we put her with you full time?"

"I don't see why not. I could always use a little help around here."

"Thanks you guys! I really appreciate it!"

"Hey Anytime. Eureka, are you able to move at all?"

"Yeah Hilda, I think so."

"Alright then. Since we don't have any wheelchairs here, do you think you can carry her to her room Hilda?" asked Mischa.

"Sure thing. Come on Eureka, let's get you settled in."

"Ok. Thank you Hilda."

A few minutes later, Hilda arrived at Renton and Eureka's room. Renton was sitting on the bed with the kids going over their study guides.

"Eureka, what happened?" asked Renton as Hilda carried her in.

"Early labor pains Renton. She and the baby are fine. Mischa has her on bed rest from now on other than meals and personal care times."

"But that means the Nirvash could be grounded!"

"I'm afraid so Renton. No more battles for you guys. Just errands and supply runs, which I'm sure you can handle."

"Yeah I can. At least you're ok Eureka."

"Yes dear I am."

"Hey Renton, can you guys move so I can get her in bed? My arms are getting tired."

"Oh, yeah, sorry Hilda. Get out of the way kids."

"Ok papa." they replied. The kids then moved and Hilda set Eureka down on their bed.

"Thanks again Hilda for the help." said Eureka."

"Sure, anytime. You just take it easy ok?"

"Yes Hilda I will."

"Alright, I'll see you later then." and Hilda left the room.

"Are you upset Renton?" asked Eureka.

"No, I'm fine. I'm just glad you and the baby are ok." he replied as he hugged her.

"We are too momma!!" said Maeter as they also hugged their mom.

"Thanks guys. Now how about we get back to work on those study guides ok?"

"Ok." the kids replied.

Back in the medical room, Mischa and Nadia were cleaning up after the incident.

"Nadia, you did well today. I didn't think you knew that much about medicine."

"Yeah I do. I was a nurse at a hospital before I started working at Tresor. I love helping people, but science is my real passion."

"I see. Well , you definitely took a big step in redeeming yourself today. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks Mischa."

"Sure. I'm going to put you in charge of Eureka's care for now, but I will be monitoring things also as things go along."

"Thank you so much!! I won't let you down, I promise!"

"I'll hold you to that promise Nadia. I'm going to report to Holland what's going on. Stay here and finish cleaning up ok?"

"Sounds good. See you in a few."

A little bit later, Mischa found Holland in the cockpit of the ship.

"Hey Mischa. I heard about what happened to Eureka. Is she ok?"

"She's fine Holland. She's resting comfortably in her room. Here's my report." As Holland read the report, he saw what he didn't want to see.

"So you're grounding Eureka. You know what that means right?"

"Yes I do. I know you may not like that idea, but it's best for her and the baby. With the fainting spell and now this, I'm not taking any more chances with either her or the baby."

"I see. We'll, it can't be helped I guess. Good job taking care of her. Hopefully Renton can do things on his own."

"Only time will tell really. I have Nadia watching over Eureka right now as we speak."

"Is that really a good idea Mischa?"

"Don't worry, I'll be watching over her, so she knows she's being watched."

"Good. Have Hilda watch her on the side also just to be safe."

"Sounds good. Anything else?"

"Not at this time. Thanks Mischa."

"Sure Holland. Anytime."

"Eureka! Are you ok?" asked Anemone frantically. She had finally just heard what happened and quickly ran down to her room.

"Relax Anemone, I'm just fine." she replied softly.

"Thank god. I was worried sick." said Anemone as she sat down on their sofa out of breath. "That's why I ran down here." Eureka just giggled softly and said "Thanks for caring sis."

"Sure, anytime." she replied, still out of breath. "Where's Renton by the way?"

"Him and Maurice went to go get lunch for all of us."

"Why didn't you go with him?"

"Mischa put me on bed rest from now on. I'm only allowed to move around to keep my strength up, but that's it."

"But that means no more fighting, which means no more Nirvash."

"Yes I know. I hate the idea myself, but I don't want to endanger our child anymore either, so I'll go with Mischa's orders."

"That's understandable. Why don't you and Renton go back to your place then?"

"That would be nice, but I want to stick around until the last month or so. I want to be with my family as long as I can. I just hope this war is over by that time."

"So do I sis." Just then Renton and Maurice returned with the lunches.

"Oh, hi Anemone. If I knew you were coming I would have gotten you lunch too." said Renton.

"That's alright Renton. I'll get something a little later on."

"That's fine. Is everything ok then?"

"Oh yeah, everything's ok. I was just checking on Eureka since I just heard what happened."

"Well thanks for your concern Anemone. It's really appreciated."

"Sure, anytime. What do you have planned for the rest of the day then?"

"Just helping the kids with their study guides since they've gotten behind a little bit."

"Can I help out too?"

"Sure Anemone. We'll take the boys and you can work with Maeter." said Eureka.

"Sounds great. You don't mind though do you?"

"Of course not. You don't mind do you Maeter?"

"No momma. I don't mind at all."

"Ok. Go over by Anemone then. If we work together, we'll be done faster."

"Ok momma." Maeter replied as she went over by Anemone.

"Alright, let's get to work everyone. We can eat while we do." The group then got to work helping the kids with their study guides.

"Hey Dominic, do you know where Anemone is?" asked Talho.

"No I don't. I haven't seen her all day. Why?"

"Just wondering that's all. What are you up to?"

"More military work. It seems that when we took out that last base, it did more damage to the rebels than we thought it would."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, come to find out, that was their main supply base after all, which explains why it was so heavily fortified."

"How long will that last though?"

"Don't know. It's really hard to tell at this time. We'll find out as time goes on I guess."

"What's your opinion on this war being over before Renton and Eureka's baby comes?"

"You want the truth?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Chances are we'll be fighting long after it's born."

"Is there any way that can be changed?"

"At this point no, unless there's a miracle out there somewhere."

"Let's just pray there is Dominic."

Back in Renton and Eureka's room, the children along with their parents and Anemone had finally finished helping the kids get caught up.

"Man that was tiring. What time is it anyways?" asked Anemone.

"Ah, the clock says it's six." Eureka replied.

"Oh my, its dinnertime. I'll get everyone's food. Be back in a few."

"I'll go with you!" said Maeter. Anemone just giggled and said "Ok, let's go Maeter."

"She sure gets along great with the kids." said Renton after she and Maeter left.

"Yeah she does." Eureka replied.

"Actually, that reminds me of something. Maurice, I've got something for you."

"What is it Renton?"

"Open the package and find out Maurice." he replied as he handed Maurice a small box. As Maurice opened it, his eyes went wide along with his smile.

"COOL!! My first compact drive!! Thanks Renton!!"

"You're welcome Maurice, you deserve it. I think you're old enough to handle one now."

"Just make sure you take care of it Maurice." said Eureka.

"I will momma."

"Can I have one too momma?" asked Linck.

"When you're older dear ok."

"Oh, ok momma." At that time, Anemone and Maeter returned with everyone's dinner.

"Hey Maurice, what do you have there?" asked Anemone.

"Renton gave me my first compact drive!" he replied.

"Cool! Congrats Maurice!"

"Thanks Anemone."

"You're welcome. Here's dinner everyone!"

"Thanks Anemone for getting it for us. Hey, do you have any plans for tonight?" asked Eureka.

"No, why?"

"Well, would you like to watch a movie with us and the kids?"

"Sure! I can do that."

"Sounds great. Let's eat everyone."

The next morning while eating in the dining hall, Dominic had an upset look on his face.

"What's wrong Dominic?" asked Hilda.

"Oh, Anemone never came to bed last night. In fact, I never saw her at all yesterday."

"That's strange of her. I wonder where she could have gone?"

"The last I saw her, she was with Renton, Eureka, and the kids." said Doggie.

"Well why didn't I think of that?" said Dominic, head hanging down and shaking it. "It's so obvious."

"Lets go check on them anyways. It's about time they got up anyhow." said Holland.

"Oh Holland, let them be." Talho replied. "I'd never wake you up if you were still sleeping."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. How about we all quietly look in on them just to make sure they're ok?"

"Now that we can do."

When everyone arrived at their room, they all quietly looked inside and just about cried at the scene they saw. Renton and Eureka were asleep under their covers while the boys were asleep between them above the covers. Anemone was passed out on the sofa with Maeter stretched out in front of her. It was the perfect family scene.

"They must have fell asleep watching a movie. The TV is still on." whispered Hilda.

"Yeah I think they did. It's so cute though. It almost makes you want to cry." Talho replied quietly.

"I already am." said Gidget. "It's such a happy scene."

"You should be proud of her Dominic." said Holland.

"I am Holland. I have the most wonderful wife in the world."

"Renton might argue otherwise." said Talho with a quiet giggle.

"Yeah I'm sure he would."

"Hey Stoner, can you get some shots of this?" asked Talho.

"Already got them. That's a real family there, just like the rest of us."

"Yeah it is." said Hilda. "Lets let them be now. They'll wake up soon enough I'm sure."

"Alright, lets go everyone. Back to work." said Holland. "Stoner, when can you get those developed?"

"I'll get to them right away. I'll give you those and the other ones I promised you also."

"Sounds good. See you soon then."

"You got it leader."

A little while later, the young family finally began to stir as the morning sun shined into their room.

"Hi Renton." said Eureka.

"Hi dear. Looks like we all fell asleep during the movie last night."

"Yeah it looks that way. Even Anemone did. Look on the sofa." When Renton did, he noticed Anemone and Maeter still asleep stretched out on the sofa. The scene brought a warm feeling to his heart.

"I guess we had better wake them up. We have things to do today."

"Like what Renton?"

"I told Holland I'd help with some of the maintenance for the ship before we get to Tresor."

"Ok that's fine. You wake the boys, I'll get Anemone."

"Works for me." he replied. As he woke up Maurice and Linck, Eureka went over to the sofa to wake up Anemone and Maeter.

"Morning Eureka." said Anemone. "Where am I?"

"You fell asleep with your niece next to you last night."

"My niece?"

"Well, you are my sister, which makes you the aunt of our kids." Anemone's face just lit up with a warm smile. "Yeah, that is true. What time is it?"

"About nine thirty."

"That's fine. What's for breakfast?"

"Don't know yet. We haven't gotten that far."

"Alright. I'll wake Maeter up while you get the boys going."

"Ok sis."

"Maeter dear, time to wake up." said Anemone as she gently shook her.

"Hi Anemone." said Maeter as she slowly woke up.

"Good morning."

"Are we still in momma and papa's room?"

"Yes we are. We all fell asleep in here last night."

"Oh ok. Hi momma and papa!"

"Morning Maeter." said Renton. "Ok, everyone's up. Who's hungry?"

"I think we all are Renton." Anemone replied.

"Alright, let's go eat then. Are you able to come with us Eureka?"

"Sure dear. I'm feeling a lot better today."

"That's good to hear. Let's go everyone."

Back in the meeting room, Holland, Talho, Ken-goh, and Dominic were going over their next plan of action.

"So when we get back to Tresor, what do we do about Nadia?" asked Ken-goh.

"I'd like to keep her around to help rehabilitate her a little bit more. She's been doing great so far, but I'm not sure if she's quite ready to go yet." said Talho.

"That's fine. What about the LFO she stole?"

"That's going back to Tresor for dismantling, unless there's a reason we need it here." said Holland.

"I see no reason to keep it here so far, even though it does have a sad look on it's face. It's almost like it's looking for it's pilot." said Talho.

"Yeah it does, doesn't it? Too bad it'll probably never find it." Holland replied.

"No doubt about that. How many days before we reach Tresor then?" asked Dominic.

"We're not sure yet. We'll probably know within the next day or two."

"Alright, let's go into patrol mode then. We'll send the 606 and the 808 out to scout the area. Put everyone else on regular ship duties."

"Sounds like a plan Ken-goh. I'll go check on Stephen. See you on the bridge Holland." said Talho.

"See you in a few. Let's go Ken-goh." said Holland.

A couple of days later as Maurice was making his bed, he heard the compact drive that Renton had given him go off.

"What's this?" he asked himself as he looked at it. "And who is Ariana?" A little bit later, he found Renton in the lounge talking to Eureka.

"Papa! I think there's something wrong with this compact drive you gave me!"

"Why? What's wrong Maurice?"

"It went off by itself a little bit ago." he replied as he handed it to Renton.

"Well, it seems to be working fine from what I can tell Maurice." Renton replied as he looked at it. "What exactly did it do?"

"Well, when it turned on by itself, a name also came up on it."

"A…..Name?" asked Renton wide eyed and with a worried tone.

"What did it say?" asked Eureka.

"It said "Ariana". who's Ariana?"

"Not sure. But listen Maurice, don't worry about it for now. Just keep an eye on it. If it happens again, let us know."

"Ok papa. Thanks!" and he ran out the door and to his room.

"Renton, you don't think?"

"I don't know Eureka. I sure hope not." Renton replied. That same night as everyone was sleeping, Maurice tossed and turned as a voice rang inside his head. When he finally woke up, he instinctively went down to the hangar, where for some reason, Eureka was there also.

"Momma, what's going on?" asked Maurice.

"I don't know Maurice. Ever since you mentioned that your compact drive went off, I've been able to sense something about this LFO that Nadia had."

"Yeah, me too for some reason. It was like it was calling me as I slept."

"Calling you Maurice?"

"Yes momma. It was the weirdest feeling I've ever had."

"Maurice, do you have your compact drive with you?"

"Yeah, right here momma."

"Can I see it?"

"Ok." he replied. As he handed it to Eureka, it once again glowed brightly with the name "Ariana" inside."

"What's going on? It can't be!" said Eureka as she looked at it and then the LFO.

"Momma, let me try something." said Maurice as he walked up to the LFO.

"NO Maurice!! Don't!" she yelled.

"It'll be ok mom. Trust me." And as he put his right hand on the LFO, it's eyes glowed a soft green.

"Mom, it's talking to me."

"It is? What is it saying?"

"Please save me. Don't let them destroy me."

"It's……. going to be destroyed at Tresor? They can't do that to this child!"

"I know momma! It wants us to save him somehow."

"What else is it saying?"

"Nothing, it's shaking, almost like it's scared."

"Can you talk back to it?"

"I think so. Give me a second." he then closed his eyes and concentrated. As he did, the LFO's eyes grew brighter. "Momma, he trust's us. He knows we'll save him."

"That's good Maurice. Good job. I can sense he's happier now. You did well."

"Thanks mom. Let's go back to bed now ok?"

"Alright. Let's go." And as they left the hangar, the eyes of the lost hope glowed a happy, peaceful green.

A couple of days later, the GekkoState finally limped its way into Tresor. Unfortunately as they landed, a few more parts fell off the battered ship.

"The damaged VRF just fell off! The damaged Engine lost a few parts too!!" said Hap.

"It's ok. We're landed now and everything is normal." said Holland. "Doggie, get us docked up ok?"

"Roger that."

"Talho, check on Eureka and make sure she's ok after that rough landing."

"Alright, I'm on it." she replied as she left the cockpit.

"Everyone else stay on patrol mode. Half of you take a break while the others stay on duty. We'll switch in several hours."

"Roger that!" everyone replied.

A little bit later, Holland and Morita met up once again in one of the hangars.

"You're making a habit of this Holland." Morita chuckled.

"Believe me, we're not trying to."

"It's alright. Do you have the Losthope with you?"

"Yes we do along with Nadia."

"Ok. I'll have security escort her off to a cell right now."

"No, don't do that. We'd actually like to keep her on board the ship. We've been working with her and she has improved greatly, so we would like to continue that."

"Are you sure? Even after all that she has done?"

"Yeah, we're sure."

"Alright then, that'll be acceptable. Let's get the LFO off then. That way we can begin disassembling it right away."

"Ok, let's get it done then."

"No you're not!" Maurice yelled as he ran into the ships hangar.

"Maurice, wait!! What are you doing? Get out of there!" yelled Holland.

"You're not destroying him!!" Maurice replied as he climbed into the Losthope. "Ok Losthope, I believe in you and have trust in you. Lets show them that you're not dangerous." he said while he plugged in his compact drive. When he did, it's eyes lit up an intense green and the instrument panel came alive. "Alright, let's go!" and it shot off the ship and down the runway.

"No way!! Maurice!" yelled Renton as he ran off the ship. "How does he know how to pilot it?"

"I've been showing him over the last couple of days." said Eureka from behind him.

"But why Eureka?"

"Just watch and you'll see dear." As the group of four watched, Maurice took the Losthope to the skies above as the others stared in awe.

"Ok, lets show them your true colors Losthope!" said Maurice happily. And with that said, the LFO reacted to his happy, hopeful spirit, changing his colors but retaining his form.

"No way! It can't be! Impossible!" yelled Morita.

"Maurice? No way! Is there another earth born coralian out there somewhere?" asked Holland.

"Not that we know of. At least we haven't heard any reports of one. If there is, you're going to have to find her right away."

"Yeah no kidding."

"Eureka, it's amazing! Our son an LFO pilot!"

"Yes he is dear. I'm proud of him."

"And so am I." Renton replied as he put his arm around his wife. "The colors are amazing too. The green and white suits him well." And the colors were just that: Green and white. The form of it had never changed. To Renton and Eureka, it looked just like the spec one version of the Nirvash, a memory that made them both smile.

"Eureka, who is that?" asked Anemone as she and the rest of the crew came running out.

"It's Maurice piloting it."

"But how? And why did it change colors? It was as black as the night time sky before. What happened?"

"It reacted to his happy attitude and his hope for a brighter future. It's his LFO now."

"Morita, I think we had better rename this one now." said Talho. "It looks like we have a new ally on our side."

"I guess you're right Talho. No longer will it be called the Losthope. Because of Maurice's spirit, it will now be called the type zero Newhope.

"And it fits. We have a lot of hope on this ship. I guess this just adds to it."

"Yes it does. I'll go change the archetypes name in the system and register it with the NFA. I'll also try to hack into the rebel forces database and see if they have any info on a new humanoid coralian being born."

"Thanks Morita." Holland replied. "Gidget, go run up to the radio and have him land. No more LFO's on this ship also. We've reached our capacity of six now."

"Hey Holland, you got to admit that you're proud of him." said Talho.

"Yeah, I am." he replied with a warm smile.

A little bit later, the Newhope was landed and secured back into the ship. Meanwhile, Morita and Sonia were searching for any new info on another humanoid coralian being born.

"Anything Sonia?" asked Morita.

"No, nothing yet. They made their firewalls really hard to crack, so obviously they're hiding something out there."

"Well, we'll keep trying tomorrow. How is work on the Gekko going?"

"It's progressing well. If the crew works fast enough, they should be done and ready to go in about two to three days."

"Wow, that's good to hear. How about Eureka?"

"Mischa has her on bed rest right now. She got the third degree from her for being up earlier."

Morita laughed at the story. "Yeah, she can be harsh at times. Alright, let's get some rest. We'll continue our search tomorrow."

Back on the Gekko, Renton was in their room eating a late night snack with Eureka, who was still upset about her little spat with Mischa.

"How are you feeling dear?" asked Renton.

"Ok I guess. I still don't think Mischa had any right to yell at me like that."

"I would've helped, but I couldn't get a word in edgewise with her."

"It's alright Renton, thanks for trying though. How's Maurice doing?"

"He's holding up great. I couldn't be prouder of him. He's grown up faster than I thought he would."

"I'm happy to hear that. I just don't want him in any battles yet."

"Don't worry about that. I'll talk to Holland and let him know. Maurice will need a lot of practice before he's ready to do anything with that LFO."

"That's fine. Hey Renton, can I say something?"

"About what?"

"Our baby."

"What about it Eureka?"

"When I'm on my final month, I want to go home."

"At our home or at grandpas?"

"Our home."

"Are you sure? That means leaving the Gekko again."

"Yes, I'm sure. I want to be out of this war before our child arrives."

"Ok, that's fine dear. I'll alert Holland of that also."

"Thank you Renton."

"Anything for my wife. Let's get some sleep now. It's been a very long day and I'm tired. I'll see you in the morning. I love you."

"I love you too Renton. Goodnight dear."

Meanwhile at a rebel military base.

"Isn't she responding to anyone or anything at all?"

"No sir. Other than eating and sleeping, all she does is sit and stare out the window."

"Well, keep working with her. Maybe she'll eventually speak to someone or finally react to something."

"Yes sir, I will."

Meanwhile back on the Gekko.

"Hey Holland, can I ask you something?" asked Talho.

"Sure. What's up?"

"Well, I know Eureka and Anemone are practically adults, but how about we try to legally adopt them into our family?"

"You know what Talho, that's a pretty good idea. Let's do it."

"You really think so?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Thank you Holland! I'll talk to them tomorrow and give them the good news. I hope they don't mind."

"I'm sure they weren't Talho. Goodnight now. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight dear." she replied. She then gave him a gentle kiss and fell into a happy, peaceful slumber.


	20. Rescuing Avriana

-1Chapter 20- Rescuing Avriana

"How is Eureka doing so far Nadia?" asked Mischa.

"She's doing well. She still refuses to speak to you though since you decided to yell at her like you did."

"Oh boy. I guess I was a little hard on her. I'll try to talk to her later then. Have you spoken to Morita at all?"

"No I haven't Mischa. I think I'm better off staying here on the ship."

"I can't say I really blame you. I'd probably be scared too. Where's Talho at?"

"With Eureka right now. There was something that she wanted to ask her and Anemone so I let them be."

"I see. I'll try not to disturb them then. Where's Holland at?"

"Him, Renton, Matthieu and Hilda went out with Maurice and the Newhope to give him practice runs. From what I hear, he's doing quite well."

"Is Renton riding with Maurice then?"

"Yes he is."

"How are things going between you and him by the way?"

"Getting better. I still really care for him, but those feelings are finally and slowly subsiding. I have noticed though that Hap has been giving me the eye lately."

"He has eh? What do you think of him?"

"Well, he isn't bad looking, but I have yet to talk to him or even really meet him for that matter."

"Well, I could always set up a date for you two."

"I don't know Mischa. I feel kind of nervous about that idea."

"Don't worry about it. I'll set up all the details. You just relax and go with the flow."

"Ok, if you say so Mischa."

Meanwhile in Renton and Eureka's room, Talho was about to ask Eureka and Anemone the big question.

"So what's up Talho?" asked Anemone. "What did you want me and Eureka for?"

"Well, me and Holland talked something over the other night, and so there's something we wanted to ask you two."

"What is it Talho?" asked Eureka.

"Well, you two know how we let you into our family and our lives right?"

"Yeah we do. Why do you ask?" Anemone replied.

"Well, there's something we want to do, but we wanted to ask you two first."

"Ask us what mom?" Eureka replied. Talho then took a heavy breath and asked "How would you two like to be adopted legally into our family?"

"You mean you and Holland would be our legal parents?" asked Anemone.

"Yes we would. But we wanted to ask you two first before we did anything."

"That's a wonderful idea mom! Let's do it!" said Eureka happily.

"I feel the same way! Let's go ahead with it!" Anemone replied excitedly.

"Thanks you two. We were hoping you would say that. We have somebody coming over today to do the paperwork. All you have to do is sign your names and it'll be official. Me and Holland will then be your legal parents."

"Our married names won't change at all will they?" asked Eureka.

"No, not at all. Just your maiden names, which will officially be Novak."

"That's fine with me." said Anemone. "When will that person be here?"

"Sometime this afternoon. Now are you two sure that you want to go through with this?"

"YES!!" they both replied.

"Alright then. When the clerk arrives, we'll let you know so we can finalize everything. Thank you girls." said Talho as she huggged both of them tightly.

At the same time up in the air, Maurice's piloting skills were getting increasingly better.

"How's it handling Maurice?" asked Holland in the 909.

"Better, but I still don't think it's operating like it should. It's like it's missing something."

"Understood. Just keep trying a little bit longer. We'll be heading home shortly."

"Roger that."

"Maurice, how is your compact drive doing up there?" asked Renton.

"It seems to be working fine. It just says 'Avriana' all the time. Is she another coralian?"

"I don't know yet Maurice. There still hasn't been any info found one any that have been born. If it is, we'll have to find and rescue her as soon as possible. Alright then, we're done here. Let's head home."

"Roger that."

Back at Tresor, repairs to the Gekko were nearing completion.

"When will she be ready?" asked Morita.

"Either later today or tomorrow morning sir."

"I see. Good work men."

"Thank you sir."

"Morita, how's the progress?" asked Sonia from behind him.

"Hi Sonia. It's going well. The Gekko should be ready to fly by tomorrow."

"Good to hear. Have you talked to Nadia at all since they've been here?"

"No I haven't. I think she's afraid to come off the ship."

"I can't say I blame her. I'd be scared too if I was her."

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that. I guess it couldn't hurt if we tried to stop in and say hi to her."

"I don't think it would hurt at all."

"Probably not. Let's go then."

"Eureka, can we talk?" asked Mischa. Mischa had decided to go talk to her to try to smooth things over.

"Why? So you can yell at me again?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what do you want?"

"To talk about the other day."

"What about it?"

"I think I was just a little harsh on you."

"A little?"

"OK, I was really harsh on you."

"That's better."

"Anyways, I wanted to apologize for that. I'm just looking out for you and the baby."

"Well I'm not a child anymore Mischa, so you can't be treating me like one."

"I realize that, I just know what's best for you. I've know you for years Eureka. I just want what's best for you."

"No you don't Mischa. I've changed completely since you first met me. I'm a different person now."

"But you're still a coralian."

"That may be, but I'm carrying a human child now plus my personality has changed. I'm no longer just a coralian Mischa. I also feel that I'm part human now too."

"Is that even possible?"

"I believe it is because of Renton."

"Renton?"

"Yes. When me and him conceived this wonderful life we're having, something happened that made me somehow closer to him than just our love for each other."

"That's amazing. How come you never told me?"

"Because I didn't want any tests run on us."

"But we have to on things like this. We don't understand enough about your kind not to."

"No Mischa. Me and Renton are no longer test subjects for you or Tresor. We want to live normal lives now."

"But Eureka…"

"I'm sorry Mischa but no." Mischa then let out a heavy sigh and said "That's fine. You two are old enough to make your own decisions now, and I can't argue with them. I just want what's best for you and Renton."

"That's fine Mischa. Thank you for caring about us. One more thing though."

"What's that dear?"

"Can I get off the bedrest? I would like to be able to move around the ship a bit." Mischa just laughed gently and said "Sure dear. Just stay away from the hangar ok?"

"Thank you Mischa."

"Sure dear. Anytime."

As Mischa walked out of Renton and Eureka's room, she immediately ran into Morita and Sonia.

"Hey you two. What brings you on the ship?"

"We just came aboard to say hi to Nadia since we haven't seen her yet." said Morita.

"I guess that should be fine. I'm sure she'll be nervous and scared though after what she did to you."

"That's fine. She doesn't have to apologize for anything she did. We just want to make sure she's ok."

"I think we can do that. She should be in our office going over paperwork."

"You two are sharing your office? I never would have guessed." said Sonia.

"Yeah it is different but we're getting along great."

"Well that's good to hear. Can we see her now?"

"Sure. Follow me."

A few minutes later, Mischa, Morita, and Sonia arrived at Mischa's office. Nadia was sitting at the desk going over Eureka and Anemone's medical charts.

"Nadia, I have some people who want to say hi to you." said Mischa.

"Who?" she asked. Just then Morita and Sonia walked into the room.

"Morita, Sonia!!" she said worryingly.

"Relax Nadia, we just wanted to say hi and check up on you to make sure you were ok."

"Really?"

"Yes really." Morita chuckled. "How have you been lately?"

"Ok I guess. These guys have been great to me so far. Their help has been wonderful to me."

"Sounds great Nadia." said Sonia. "We were told that they wanted to keep you around here for a bit."

"Yeah they do. Mischa put me in charge of Eureka's care, with supervision of course. That really helped me boost my confidence in myself."

"That's good Nadia. At least they're willing to help you."

"Yeah they are, which is why I like it here. They've been a wonderful help."

Sounds good Nadia. I'll have some people bring up the belongings you left behind, even though we already confiscated all the stuff you had on Renton."

"That's fine. I guess I can't come back then right?"

"It's nothing like that Nadia. Once you and everyone else feels you're rehabilitated enough, you can come back and work with us at anytime."

"Really? Thank you sir!!"

"Sure, anytime Nadia. Me and Sonia had better get back to work then. It's been good seeing you."

"You too Dr.Morita. I'll see you later Sonia."

"Count on it." she replied as they left.

Meanwhile in the hangar of the ship, the 606, 808, 909, and Newhope got secured back onto the Gekko.

"Good job Maurice." said Holland. "A few more practice runs and you'll be an ace in no time."

"Thanks Holland. I appreciate you guys helping me out with it."

"Sure kid anytime." said Hilda. "I'll see you guys later though. I'm going to go get some lunch. You coming Matthieu?"

"Right behind you honey. Later guys!!"

"See you later Matthieu!" said Renton as they left. "Hey Holland, there's a couple of things me and Eureka wanted to ask you."

"What's that?"

"For one, we don't want Maurice in any battles right now. He's too young and not experienced enough yet to be fighting in a war like this."

"That's perfectly fine Renton. We weren't planning on having him do anything anyways. What was the other thing?"

"Eureka made this request and I told her it was fine, but she wants to be home during her last month of pregnancy."

"Oh man, that one I wasn't planning on, but that's perfectly fine. If she wants to be where she's comfortable, you guys can do that."

"Thanks Holland for understanding us."

"No problem Renton. Now how about we go get some lunch ourselves?"

"Sounds good Holland. Come on Maurice!"

"Ok papa!" he replied. While they were walking towards the dining hall from the hangar, the group of three noticed Eureka wandering the hallways. "Eureka, what are you doing up?!" asked Renton.

"Relax dear." she replied as she gently kissed him. "Mischa cleared me to move around. I just can't go near the hangar at all."

"That's good to hear. You worried me for a second there."

"Sorry Renton. I didn't mean to. Where are you guys going?"

"To the dining hall for lunch. Want to join us?"

"Sure. I want to hear how Maurice's first practice flight went."

"Okay. Holland cleared your request to go home on your final month by the way."

"He did? Thank you Holland."

"Sure Eureka. You deserve it as well as Renton."

"How did Maurice's flight go then?"

"It went great. It's still not operating at full capacity yet, but Maurice did well."

"Good to hear. Good job Maurice."

"Thanks momma. Can we go out again tomorrow papa?"

"Sure Maurice. You don't mind do you Holland?"

"Not at all. It's a good experience for him."

"Thanks Holland." said Maurice.

"Sure thing kid. Now let's eat."

At the same time in Morita's office, him and Sonia were once again trying to get into the rebel forces database.

"Any luck yet Sonia?" asked Morita.

"No not yet. I'm not an experienced hacker, so it's tough for me to do anything at all with the firewall they're using."

"Well we need to keep trying. If there is another coralian out there, they might already have her."

"I sure hope not. That would be disastrous to us and her."

"No doubt." Morita replied. "Hey, I think I got in!!"

"Really? How did you do it?"

"I don't know. All I know is that I'm in. Now to see if they have anything." After a few minutes of searching, they finally found what they were looking for. "Got it! They do have her, but from what it says here, she refuses to talk or respond to anyone or anything, so we may have a chance to save her after all."

"Excellent. Where are they at?"

"At Whyndom Hills Military base. That's about two days flight from here."

"Does the girl have a name?"

"Yeah, she does. It's Avriana."

Back on the Gekko, the county clerk who handled adoptions was with Talho, Holland, Anemone, and Eureka in the lounge.

"So I have all the papers in order and Mr. and Mrs.Novak have already signed and agreed to everything concerning the adoption. I was already told by Mrs.Novak that she already talked to Anemone and Eureka. Is this correct?"

"Yes it is." said Eureka.

"Yes sir." Anemone replied.

"And you two agree to the conditions I explained to you about the conditions of your adoption?"

"Yes we did sir." said Anemone.

"Alright then. If you two will sign your names here with your new maiden names, everything will be finalized. And as Mrs.Novak told you before, your married names will not change. Anemone, you can go first. Then you sign below on the next line Eureka." The two then signed their names below where Talho and Holland did, making it all official. "Ok then, you two are all set. Mr. and Mrs.Novak, congratulations to you and these two lovely girls. You are now their proud new parents."

"Thank you sir. You have no idea how much this means to us." said Talho.

"I think I do ma'am. I've been doing this for years now. Here's your copies of everything including the one all of you signed. Congratulations again and good luck to all of you."

"Thanks again." said Holland while he shook his hand.

"Anytime. Have a good day now." said the clerk while he was leaving.

"You too!!" said Talho as she held her two new daughters. "Well girls, we did it. We're now your legal parents."

"It's a wonderful feeling. I'm so happy I could cry." said Anemone.

"Me too." said Eureka with happy tears in her eyes.

"Well don't do that." said Holland. "Lets celebrate! I'm going to make a huge dinner for all of us! Lets go everyone!"

"Oh boy here we go." said Anemone with a giggle as they left the lounge.

Two hours later after Morita confirmed all the info he had found on Avriana, he raced onto the Gekko looking for Holland. He eventually found him in his room with Talho and Stephen.

"What's the matter Morita?" asked Holland as he rushed in.

"It's her!!" said Morita panting and out of breath.

"Who?"

"Avriana!"

"Who's Avriana?"

"The new coralian!"

"WHAT?!"

"Yes Holland we found her!" within minutes everyone including Morita were in the meeting room.

"So whats going on?" asked Hap.

"A new humanoid coralian has been found." said Morita.

"No way!"

"Where is she?" asked Hilda.

"Right here at Whyndom Hills Military base." He then pointed out the location on the map. "It's about two days flight from where we're at now."

"Do we know anything about her?"

"All we know is that she won't respond to anything at this time, let alone anyone. We should have time to rescue her if we hurry."

"How fortified is the base?" asked Holland.

"It wasn't bad until now. Ever since she arrived, they really beefed up security around there."

"I see. How much time do we have?"

"Not much, which is why we need to get moving now."

"Is the Gekko ready to go?" asked Talho.

"Yes she is, so we have to go now."

"Are you going with us?"

"Yes along with Sonia, so let's get moving."

"Right. Everyone to your stations. We're heading to Whyndom Hills!" said Holland.

"Roger that!" everyone replied.

Two very long days later, the GekkoState arrived in the area of Whyndom Hills.

"Alright, we'll be taking the 606, 808, 909, and Venturion in vehicle mode to stay under their radar." said Holland. "I'd hate to say this, but we'll need either the Nirvash or the Newhope as backup in case we have a hard time getting Avriana out of there."

"I'll use the Nirvash." said Renton. "I don't want my son out there."

"Ok then that's fine. Thank you Renton. Stay on the ship and be ready to go at any moment."

"Roger that."

"Everyone else, let's go."

"Anything new out of her?" asked General Adams.

"No sir, other than the fact that she seems to be strangely restless tonight for some reason."

"Hmmm, interesting. Keep an eye on her then. I'll be in my quarters if you need anything."

"Yes sir!" After the general left, the guard asked himself "What exactly is she looking at?"

Back on the Gekko, Morita was giving everyone the final details.

"Ok, she's going to be in the third building from the end, second floor, room twenty one B."

"Will it be heavily guarded?" asked Hilda.

"At this time no. Since it's night time, there will be only one guard on duty at her door. Anywhere's else I'm not sure. The entire area should be quiet otherwise, but be careful."

"We will. Everyone to your LFO's. Let's rescue Avriana." So in the quiet of the night, the 606, 808, 909, and Venturion quietly drifted down towards the enemy base. When they landed, they quietly went into vehicle mode and made their way into the area. When the absolute boundry was reached by their LFO's, they had to continue by foot.

"Woz, any personelle detectors out there?" asked Holland over the radio.

"Negative leader. You're clear to move forward."

"Roger that. Thanks. Let's go everyone." As they slowly crept forward closer to the base, Holland noticed a couple of gaurds on the back of the base. The group stopped and took cover while they waited for them to clear the area. They then proceeded forward once again after they did. "The building we want is forty yards to the left of us. When we get there, spread out around the building and surround it. Once we know it's clear, we'll quietly enter as a group, got it?"

"Roger that." they all replied quietly. As they all crept slowly forward once again, it took them a full half hour to get to the building due to all the gaurds in the area. When they finally got to the building, they slowly and quietly surrounded it.

"Gekko, this is the king of hearts. We're entering the building now. You and the Nirvash stay on standby."

"Roger that. Good luck." Talho replied.

"Thanks." he replied. "Ok team, let's go." Slowly one by one the group entered the small building. "Dominic, you and Hilda stay here and guard the entrance. Me, Matthieu, and Anemone are heading upstairs to get her."

"Roger that. Be careful dear."

"I will. Let's go Holland." Anemone replied.

"Right. See you in about ten if things go right."

"Ok sounds good." Hilda replied.

"Anemone, Matthieu, let's go." As the three headed upstairs in the small office like building, they noticed one guard at the top of the stairs. Holland quietly snuck up the stairs and knocked him out with the butt of his gun. "Keep moving forward." he said afterwards. A few minutes later they noticed a guard sitting by the room they needed. "Matthieu, do you have the smoke bombs?"

"Yes I do. And don't worry, these are military issue, not blackmarket crap."

"Good. Now this is where the fun comes in. Anemone, as soon as it activates, me and you will rush in and get her out. You ready?"

"Yes I am." she replied.

"Ok. Matthieu, Now!!" Holland yelled. Matthieu then pulled the pin and released the smoke bomb.

"What the hell?!" yelled the guard as smoke filled the hallway. As he fired his gun in the direction of the smoke, Holland fired back and unfortunately took him out.

"Dammit. I really didn't want to do that." he thought to himself. "Anemone, NOW!!" he yelled.

"Right behind you!" she yelled as she followed him. The two then rushed into the room where a young girl was sitting quietly by herself. "Avriana?" asked Anemone.

"How…do you know me?"

"I'll tell you later! I have an LFO and a partner waiting for you! Let's go!"

"Ok!." she replied with excitement.

"Alright, get ready to run! We have a long ways to go!" yelled Holland. "You ready?"

"Yes! Let's go!"

"Ok, NOW!" and they ran out of the room and towards the stairs.

"Dominic, Hilda, run now!!" yelled Anemone as they ran back down the stairs.

"Do you have her?" asked Hilda.

"She's right behind me so GO!"

"Right! Let's go Dominic!" Hilda yelled. All of them than ran out of the building as the bases alarms went off.

"Gekko, this is Holland! Cover fire now!" he yelled.

"Roger that!." Talho replied. "Ken-Goh, fire now!"

"Roger! Firing lasers and missles now!" and with that a barrage of laser and missle fire left the Gekko, taking out half the base in one shot.

"Everyone in your LFO's! Avriana, get in the yellow one with Matthieu!"

"Ok!" she replied. As soon as everyone was strapped in, they all took off from the base.

"Incoming KLF's!" yelled Matthieu.

"606, get Avriana to the Gekko! The rest of us will handle the KLF's!" yelled Holland.

"Roger that!" he replied.

"Please do. My partner and LFO are calling for me." said Avriana."

"Whatever you say." Matthiue replied.

"There's only five!" yelled Hilda. "Lets get them and go home!"

"Right! Let's go team!" yelled Holland. As the four of them went into battle, Matthieu in the 606 safely dropped off Avriana.

"Avriana, follow me inside. Matthieu, get back out there!" said Talho.

"Right! I'm off!" he replied. Matthieu then got the 606 turned around on the turntable and shot off the ship towards the battle. "909, got one!" he yelled as he flew towards them.

"Roger that! Every one split off and take out the rest of them now so we can get out of here!"

"Right!" they all replied. Within thirty minutes time, the remaining KLF's were destroyed along with the base.

"Alright everyone, good job. Let's head home and back to Tresor." said Holland.

"Roger that." they all replied.

Back on the ship, everyone met in the lounge to greet their new arrival.

"Avriana, welcome aboard the GekkoState." said Talho. "We're happy to have you here."

"Thank you. I'm glad to meet all of you. I could tell that the girl who helped rescue me earlier with the pink hair is a coralian also."

"Yes she is. Her name is Anemone Sorrell. Her husband is Dominic."

"Nice to meet you."

"You too Avriana."

"There's another coralian like you aboard this ship also Avriana." said Talho.

"There is?"

"Yes there is. Her and her husband are the pilots of the Nirvash type zero. They are also expecting a child of their own very shortly."

"What's her name?"

"Eureka Thurston."

"Where is she?"

"Probably in her room with Renton since she requires a lot of rest due to their baby."

"Who's Renton?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Renton is her husband."

"May I go see her?"

"Sure. Follow me dear."

Meanwhile in their room, Renton and Eureka were just getting ready to crawl into bed for the night.

"Well at least I didn't have to take the Nirvash out tonight." said Renton.

"I'm glad. I was worried that you would."

"So was I, but luckily it never happened and we got Avriana out and aboard safely."

"Yes we did." Eureka replied as she laid her head on Renton's left shoulder. As the two were about to fall asleep, Talho knocked on their door.

"Come in!" said Renton.

"I hope I didn't wake you two up." said Talho as she walked in.

"No not at all. So what's up?"

"I have someone who wants to meet you two."

"Oh really?"

"Yep. Come on in Avriana!" Talho replied. They young girl with light purple hair and the same distinctive lavender colored eyes then walked into the room. When Renton and Eureka saw her, they swore she looked just like Sakuya.

"Hi Avriana." said Eureka.

"Nice to meet you. I guess you're Renton?"

"Yes I am Avriana. Welcome aboard the Gekko. I hope things weren't too rough for you tonight."

"No, they were fine thank you."

"You seem a little shy Avriana. Are you ok?" asked Eureka.

"Yeah I'm ok. It's just that I don't know anyone here. I guess I'm just a little nervous that's all."

"That's understandable. Talho, where is she going to sleep tonight?"

"Good question. I guess I never really thought of that." she replied.

"Why don't you get one of the spare beds then." said Renton. "She more than welcome to stay with us tonight if she wants."

"Are you two sure about that?"

"Of course." Eureka replied.

"Are you ok with that Avriana?"

"I guess it's ok."

"Alright then. Hang tight here Avriana. I'll be right back ok?"

"Ok." Avriana replied. Talho then left the room to get the folding bed. "Are you sure it's ok for me to stay with you?"

"Of course." Eureka replied. "We're a family here on this ship, so you're more than welcome to."

"A family? What's a family?" Eureka smiled gently and said "Don't worry Avriana, we'll explain everything to you over time."

"That'd be nice. Thank you."

"You're welcome Avriana."

"I'm sure there are a lot of things you don't understand Avriana." said Renton. "But we'll gladly help you out with anything you need."

"You will? Nobody else would ever do that for me in that building they kept me in. Of course, I didn't know anyone there either. There was always different people going in and out of my room, so I never talked to anyone."

"Well there's no reason to be afraid here. If you need help with anything at all, don't be afraid to ask. We'll gladly help you."

"Thank you all for everything. I won't be scared to ask about anything I promise." At that time Talho walked in with the extra folding bed.

"Here you go." said Talho as she folded it out. "We'll get you a better bed tomorrow I promise."

"Ok, thank you." Avriana replied.

"Sure dear. It's really no problem. We'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight mom." said Eureka.

"Goodnight everyone." she replied as she left the room.

"Eureka, why did you call her mom?" asked Avriana.

"We'll tell you in the morning ok? Everything will be explained at that time."

"Ok. Well, goodnight then."

"Goodnight Avriana."

The next morning, Renton and Eureka were the first ones up with the morning sun. Avriana was still sleeping soundly on the bed next to them.

"She looks so peaceful. I would hate to wake her." said Eureka.

"Then don't. we'll let her sleep. Let's go get some breakfast."

"Ok dear."

A couple of hours later as Renton and Eureka were quietly watching TV, Avriana finally woke up from her peaceful slumber.

"Good morning Avriana." said Eureka.

"Good morning. What time is it?"

"About nine."

"I didn't have to be up earlier like I did on that base did I?" she asked worryingly.

"Not at all." said Renton. "You can sleep as late as you want."

"This ship is that lenient?"

"For the most part yes as long as you help with regular ship duties."

"Really?"

"Yes Avriana."

"When do we eat then?"

"Me and Renton already ate." said Eureka. "But we'll gladly take you to the dining hall to get something if you'd like."

"That would be nice. Thank you."

"Anytime Avriana. Follow us."

Meanwhile in the lounge, everyone else was going over last nights paperwork and battle reports. They were all pleased to see that no one had gotten hurt nor was anything damaged from all that happened. At the same time, Mischa was finally lining up Hap and Nadia's blind date.

"Are you sure about this Mischa?" asked Nadia.

"Yes I am. Now don't worry about it. When we get back to Tresor, I'll set the whole thing up. Just be ready ok?"

"Alright if you say so. I'm still nervous about it though."

For the rest of the day, everyone on the ship helped Avriana with any questions she had about them or the roles they led on the ship, among other things. As the day went on, they also helped her with any things that she needed along the way. By the end of the day, she was finally ready to meet Maurice and the Newhope.

"So Maurice is your son?" Avriana asked Renton.

"Yes he is." he replied as they walked towards the hangar.

"How old is he?"

"Nine going on ten. You look to be around that age also."

"I do?"

"Yes you do. Well, here we are. You ready to meet them?"

"Yes I am."

"Alright then, here we go." Renton then took her into the hangar and over to the Newhope. "Maurice, you in there?"

"Yes papa!"

"I've got someone who wants to meet you!"

"Avriana I'm guessing?"

"Yes Maurice."

"One second!" he replied as he finished going over the Newhope's computers. He then shut them down and popped his head out of the cockpit. When his and Avriana's eye's met, she blushed just slightly for her age, and so did Maurice. Renton just let out a warm smile because he knew that this was a sign of things to come. As Maurice climbed down, Avriana also had a warm smile on her face. When he finally got down, Renton said "Maurice, this is Avriana."

"Hi."

"Hi. Nice to meet you."

"You too." he replied kind of nervously.

"I'll leave you two alone so you can go over the LFO with her. See you later Maurice."

"Later papa!" Maurice replied. "So, do you want to look at him?"

"Sure." Avriana replied shyly.

The next day, the GekkoState finally arrived back at Tresor. Everyone at the facilities was happy to see that Morita and Sonia were safe and were also excited to see the new coralian.

"Relax everyone." said Morita after they landed. "You'll get to see her soon enough. Let us show you something first. Would you like to do the honors Holland?"

"Sure. Ok you two, HIT IT!!" and with that the Newhope launched off the ship and took to the skies.

"Amazing!" said Sonia. "Pretty soon those rebels won't stand a chance against us." Just then the Nirvash and Venturion followed after them.

"What are they doing?" asked Morita.

"I don't know." Holland replied. As they all watched, the three LFO's lined up next to each other.

"Is everyone ready?" asked Renton

"Roger that." they all replied.

"Eureka, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, I'll be fine, trust me."

"Alright everyone, lets show them our true power. Let's do it!!" and with that Renton and Eureka activated the Amita drive, causing that ever familiar purple light. As that light glowed brightly, the Venturion and Newhopes shapes changed, somehow mysteriously changing them to spec two status, bringing them both up equally to the Nirvash.

"How is that even possible?" asked Morita as the three units started to land.

"I don't know, but things sure are getting strange around here with those guys around." Holland replied.

Later that evening, Mischa finally tracked down Hap in the Gekko's hangar going over the repair list with Morita for the repairs done to the ship.

"So there you are Hap." said Mischa as she walked towards him.

"Hey Mischa, what's up?"

"Oh nothing really. How are we looking so far?"

"Everything's fine. Do you need something?"

"No not at all. Do you have any plans for this evening?"

"Uhh, no. Why? What do you have up your sleeve this time?"

"A blind date for you that's all."

"A blind date? Oh geez, what did you go and do that for?"

"Because you need it for one, and I know someone who likes you a little."

"Who?"

"You'll find out later. I have a room and dinner being set up for you right now. Main building, room twenty two at seven. Be there. She'll be waiting."

"Looks like Mischa put you in a bind." said Morita with a chuckle.

"Yeah yeah. I suppose I had better go and get ready then. I'll see you later."

"Have fun Hap." Morita laughed.

"Yeah, right."

A little later on, Nadia was waiting for her and Haps date in room twenty two with Mischa.

"I don't know Mischa. I'm still nervous about this whole thing. Maybe we should just forget it."

"Too late for that now Nadia. Hap should be here shortly. Ok, you're all set. Have fun and I'll see you soon."

"Yeah, ok." Nadia replied as Mishca left the room. "I hope it goes well too."

"Man, why did Mischa do this? I can't believe this is happening." said Hap as he walked towards the room. "Well, here goes nothing." he said to himself as he walked into the room. When he walked in, he couldn't believe who he saw. There stood Nadia, with a black miniskirt dress, brunette hair that went to the middle of her back, matching high heels, her glasses, and looks that would send any man swooning over her, it left Hap totally speechless and wide eyed.

"Hi Hap." said Nadia.

"Nadia, you look absolutely amazing."

"Thank you. I was worried that I didn't."

"Well you do. I'm sorry that Mischa forced us into this."

"It's alright. I've been noticing you giving me the eye anyways."

"Yeah, I guess I have been. Sorry about not asking you out earlier. I guess I was just too nervous to."

"It's ok. I'm glad that Mischa did do this then. How about we eat and talk?"

"Sure Nadia. Sounds like a plan."

A little later on after the two ate dinner, talked, and relaxed, Nadia said "So, are you enjoying yourself tonight?"

"Actually yes I am. A nice dinner, a wonderful evening with a beautiful lady, no pressure from you or anyone else, what else could I ask for? There is nothing better than this."

"I'm glad to hear that. So, are you in the mood for a moonlights walk around the complex?"

"You know what? Sure, why not. I could use a little exercise anyways." Nadia giggled at his last comment and said "Ok, let's go then."

The next morning, everyone except Hap and Nadia met outside the ships hangar before they took off again and went back into battle.

"Ah, anyone know where Hap and Nadia are at this morning?" asked Talho.

"Good question. I haven't seen them either." Holland replied.

"Has anyone seen them?"

"I might know where they're at." said Mischa.

"Really? Where?"

"I kind of set them up on a blind date together last night."

"You what?" asked Talho curiously.

"I set them up on a blind date together. I don't know how well it went though."

"I can tell you that." said Renton.

"How?" asked Talho.

"Look over there." he replied as he pointed to his left. Everyone stared in awe as the two walked up to the hangar from the end of the complex in each others arms.

"Looks like it went well." said Mischa.

"I never would have guessed." Talho replied.

"I guess you two had a nice night together." said Hilda as they arrived at the hangar.

"Yes we did." said Nadia in a calm, happy tone. "After the dinner date Mischa set up for us, we took a walk around the complex, sat over by the end building over there, talked underneath the stars, and I guess fell asleep for a bit. Sorry if we worried all of you."

"It's alright. At least you had a good time." said Talho.

"So does this make you two official then?" asked Hilda.

"I think so. What do you think Hap?"

"I think we can say that. We'll take our time though and see how it goes."

"Works for me. Thank you Mischa for setting this up for us." Nadia replied.

"Don't mention it. I'm just glad it worked out." she replied.

"Congratulations you two." said Holland. "I'd hate to spoil things, but we have work to do."

"Roger that." they all replied.

"Good. Everyone back on the ship and to your stations. We're taking off!"

"Right!" they all replied.


	21. Love and Pain

-1Chapter 21- Love and pain

Two weeks had went by and the GekkoState was fighting harder than they had ever had before. With Eureka now seven months in with her pregnancy she was no longer able to fight. Miraculously though Renton was still able to pilot the Nirvash without her since part of her spirit resided within it. She was always able to tell when Renton was safe and when he was in danger.

Anemone and Dominic were getting along better than ever during those days and were also fighting harder than they had ever done so before also. The battles had been getting rougher and tougher ever since they had rescued Avriana from the rebel base over two weeks ago. The rebel forces had sworn to themselves that they would get her back no matter what the cost. Anemone was now a month in herself with her pregnancy and was enjoying every minute of it. Her checkups with Mischa were going well even though Mischa noticed something different with it, but didn't say anything until she knew for sure what it was.

"Talho, how's our progress so far?" asked Holland.

"So far so good. Rebel strength has gained a tad but it's leveled off."

"Sounds good. How are we looking supplies wise?"

"We're ok at the moment. We'll need a grocery run in about another week or so. Weapons levels are still good. We have enough to last another two weeks if we can stretch it that far considering how many battles we've been in."

"I see. How about maintenance? Do we need any?"

"Not at the moment that I know of. Axel has been doing great keeping up with things in that area. Looks like it's tiring him out though."

"Put him on two days off then. Tell him to take it easy for now."

"Who will take care of things then?"

"Put Renton on it for now."

"Alright then, can do. Anything else?"

"Yeah. Where's Stephen?"

"STEPHEN!!" yelled Talho. Her and Holland had been having a hard time watching him ever since he started walking.

"Now where'd he go?" asked Holland as they left their room.

"Now Stephen, what are you doing down here?" asked Eureka gently with a smile. "Did you get away from mom and dad again?" All he did was smile and giggle while he motioned her to pick him up. "Ok ok, let's go find mom and dad." She then picked him up and began walking towards Holland and Talho's room.

"Hilda, have you seen Stephen?" asked Talho.

"No I haven't. Why? Did he get away from you again?"

"Yes he did. He's about as much trouble as his father is."

"I believe it." Hilda replied with a laugh. "Good luck in your search."

"Yeah, thanks." Talho then left her room and headed towards the bridge. As she did, she heard Eureka yell "Mom!" from behind her. "What's the matter Eureka?" she asked as she turned around. "Oh, never mind. I see you found who I was looking for. Where was he?"

"Down by our room. I was getting ready to go find Renton when I saw him wandering the hallways."

"Well thanks for bringing him down here for me. Did you need Renton for something?"

"No. I just haven't seen him all day and I wanted to see what he was doing that's all."

"Well that certainly is strange of him, but ok. I'll see you at dinner then?"

"I'll be there. See you later!"

"Renton, can you throw me a wrench down here?" asked Dominic. He and Renton were in the hangar working on Matthieu's 606.

"Sure thing!" Renton replied. "Watch your head!" he yelled as he tossed it down to him.

"OW!! It wasn't my head I should worry about. More like my KNEES!!"

"Sorry! You ok though?"

"Yeah I am. Thanks."

"No problem. Hey, I'm going to the shop for a soda. Want one?"

"Sure."

"Alright, be back in a few." Renton replied as he climbed off the 606. As he climbed up the stairs to leave the hangar, he unfortunately failed to notice a toy that the kids had left behind from when they were playing earlier. Eureka was in the doorway when she saw him go flying and tumbling down the stairs.

"RENTON!!" she yelled as he continued to tumble down the stairs. When he finally got to the bottom, she and Dominic immediately ran to his side. "Oh my dear Renton! Is he ok Dominic?"

"I don't know, he's out cold. Stay here with him and hold his head still. I'll go get help."

"Please hurry Dominic." she replied with tears in her eyes.

"I will don't worry, so hang tight."

"Ok." she said. Five minutes later, Mischa, Nadia, Holland, Talho, Hilda, and Dominic rushed into the hangar.

"What happened?" asked Mischa.

"I don't know. I was walking into the hangar as he fell." she replied as she was crying. "Will he be ok?"

"Can't tell yet. Nadia, put the neck brace on him. Holland, Hilda, you two carefully put him on the backboard." As all of this was going on, Talho was investigating the area to see what happened. As she carefully reached the top of the stairs, she eventually found what caused Rentons accident. As she picked up the toy ball the kids left on the stairs, she turned to see Holland and Hilda getting ready to carry Renton up the stairs. "Ok you two. One, two, three, and lift!" said Mischa. As the two carried him up the stairs, Dominic held Eureka who was crying hard at the bottom of the stairs.

"Come on Eureka. You need to be with him right now. Mischa and Nadia will take care of him, don't worry."

"I know they will!!" she exclaimed. "I just wish I knew what caused him to fall like that."

"I can tell you that." said Talho as she walked down the stairs. "Your kids must have accidentally left their ball sitting on the stairs earlier."

"They did? How could they be so careless!?" Eureka yelled.

"Relax Eureka. It was only an accident. They didn't mean to do it. Now lets go to Mischa's office so you can be by Rentons side ok?"

"Ok mom." she replied.

Meanwhile in the medical room, Nadia and Mischa were rushing around Renton trying to establish his injuries.

"Nadia, get the x-ray machine over here!" yelled Mischa.

"Right! How's his pulse and blood pressure?"

"They're both stable and normal, so we're good there."

"Great. Any other injuries that you can see?"

"Not at the moment. All I can see so far are cuts, bumps, bruises, and a severely sprained right ankle."

"Alright, x-ray machine is ready. So clear the room for a minute." The two then went into the next room to do the x-rays. When they were complete, they went back into the medical room. A few minutes later, the pictures were ready.

"Well, it seems he broke his left arm also." said Nadia. "That isn't good. It means the Nirvash is completely grounded now."

"Seems that way. Holland won't like that at all, but we have no choice. Nirvash is now officially grounded."

"Alright, I'll go alert Holland then." A few minutes after she left, Talho and Eureka walked into the room.

"How is he Mischa?" asked Eureka with tears in her eyes as she looked at him.

"He's ok for the most part." Mischa replied.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Talho.

"His right ankle is severely sprained and the fall he took broke his left arm."

"Oh man. Anything else?"

"Other than cuts, bumps, and bruises no. He should make a full recovery in about four to eight weeks."

"But me and Renton will be going home in that time." said Eureka.

"Say what?" Talho replied.

"Holland didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"He said Renton and I could go home on my final month."

"Oh he did eh? I'll have to talk to him about that decision."

"You won't change our minds mom. We're still going home. You said before that we could if we wanted to."

"Yeah you're right, but I'm still mad at him for not telling me. Anyways, when will Renton be released?"

"Probably within the next twenty four to forty eight hours. He'll have to stay off his feet for at least a week or two. He'll be fine after that, but his piloting is done for a while."

"You're grounding the Nirvash?" asked Eureka.

"Yes I am. There's just no way around it dear. I'm sorry."

"It's alright." said Talho. "Come on Eureka, let Renton get some rest. I'll make you dinner ok?"

"Ok." Eureka replied sadly.

On the bridge, Nadia was alerting everyone else of Renton's situation.

"So Renton will have to stay off his feet for a couple of weeks and will no longer be able to pilot the Nirvash."

"Is he ok though otherwise?" asked Hap.

"Seems to be. He's still sleeping at the moment. We should hopefully know more by either today or tomorrow."

"How is Eureka?" asked Gidget.

"She's visibly shaken and upset right now. Talho is with her trying to keep her calm and relaxed."

"How long will his recovery take?" asked Holland.

"Complete recovery will take four to eight weeks."

"Man, that's pushing it, but I guess it can't be helped. Thanks for the update Nadia. Keep us posted on his condition ok?"

"Will do. See you all later!" Nadia replied. She then left the bridge and headed back towards the medical room.

"Well, what do we do next?" asked Hap.

"We continue on." Holland replied. "We still have four good LFO's plus one for extreme emergencies only. We re-supply in one week so continue on with your duties. It's about dinner time so a few of you go eat now. The rest can eat after they get back ok?"

"Roger that." they all replied.

"Ok, I'll see you all later then." Holland replied. He then left the bridge and headed towards the dining hall.

At the same time, Talho and Eureka were just getting ready to sit down and eat when the kids walked into the dining hall.

"Hi Momma!" said Maeter happily. Eureka just looked at them with an angry scowl and didn't say a word. She then went back to eating her food.

"Momma, what's wrong?" asked Linck in a worried tone.

"She's upset at you guys." Talho replied.

"Why? What did we do?" asked Maeter.

"Were you guys playing in the hangar earlier today while Renton and Dominic were working?"

"Yeah we were. Papa said we could if we were careful in there."

"Well you weren't careful enough." Talho then tossed them their toy ball.

"My blue bouncy ball! I was looking for that!"

"You left it on the stairs in the hangar and your father tripped on it."

"Is he ok?" asked Maurice.

"No he's not. When he fell down the stairs he broke his left arm and severely sprained his left ankle."

"Not Papa!" said Linck as he started to cry.

"Is he with Mischa then?" asked Maurice.

"Yes he is. Her and Nadia are watching over him right now. He should be out in a day or two."

"Papa." said Maeter with tears in her eyes and her head hung low. By this time all three of them were crying an were visibly upset about what happened to their father. Eureka saw this and realized Talho was right earlier. It was an accident. The kids always managed to leave a toy laying around her or there around the ship, but no one ever got hurt until now. Eureka then looked up at their kids and said "Come over here kids." They then all ran over to her and cuddled close while they cried. Talho sat there with them and took Maeter in her arms to help comfort her. "I'm sorry Momma. I didn't mean to." she said while she cried.

"It's ok dear." Eureka replied. "It was only an accident. From now on let's try to keep your toys in your rooms unless you're going to play with them ok?"

"Ok Momma." she replied.

"Do you kids want to go see him?" asked Talho calmly as she gently held Maeter.

"Can we?" asked Maeter.

"Sure, why not." Eureka replied. "Let's go children." The kids along with Talho and their mom then left the dining hall and headed towards the medical room. When they got there, Renton was awake but very groggy.

"Renton?" asked Eureka as they walked in.

"Hi dear." he replied very quietly.

"How are you doing?"

"Tired and extremely sore, but fine otherwise. How about you?"

"Worried about you at the moment, I'm ok otherwise."

"That's good. Hi kids."

"Hi Papa." they all replied.

"I'm sorry about everything that happened Papa." said Maeter. "I didn't mean to leave my ball there."

"It's ok." he replied. "I know it was only an accident so don't worry about it."

"Are you sure Papa?"

"Of course Maeter. Come here." he replied gently. She then slowly walked up to him. When she got next to him, he took her in a gentle hug with his right arm. He then said "I love you guys no matter what happens ok?"

"Ok Papa." she replied in a calm, happy tone.

"Mischa said you should be out in a day or two Renton." said Talho. "But the Nirvash is officially grounded this time."

"I guess that's unavoidable, but it's alright. Some things happen for a reason."

"That they do. But listen, get some sleep now. We'll all see you tomorrow ok?"

"That's fine. Bye kids."

"Goodnight Papa." they all replied.

"Goodnight dear." said Eureka.

"Goodnight Eureka. You sleep tight ok?"

"I will knowing you're ok, so don't worry." She then gave him a gentle kiss and they all left the room while he fell asleep.

Two days later as promised, Renton was released from Mischa's office and was put in his room to recuperate. Holland and Matthieu helped him hobble to his room and onto their bed. Eureka and the kids were happy and relieved to see him up and awake as well as ok, even though he was a little battered. Since Eureka wasn't exactly in shape to be helping him with anything, Dominic and Anemone helped with whatever they needed. Avriana did too as she also watched and learned what they did. They were pleased to see her learn as fast as she did, as well as everyone else.

"Ok, we need to re-supply in two days. Where's the nearest city?" asked Holland. Him, Talho, Hap, Doggie, Hilda, Matthieu, Gidget, and Ken-Goh had all met in the meeting room.

"From what our calculated path is, Dawson City will be the best one to re-supply in. It's the only one in the area that's in neutral territory and has an airport where we can also get the ship filled with water and fuel." said Hap.

"Neutral territory eh? That should be a first. What all do we need other than food, fuel, and water?"

"Renton and Eureka are requesting some new clothes for Avriana since she has to keep trying to share with Maeter. Mischa and Nadia need medical supplies also. Otherwise all we need are everyday living supplies." said Hilda.

"Sounds good." Holland replied. "Hap, you and Nadia go with Avriana and get her what she needs. Me, Talho, Hilda, Matthieu, Anemone, and Dominic will take care of everything else. Gidget, can you watch Stephen for us?"

"Sure!! I'd be happy to!" she replied.

"Great. Thanks Gidget." said Talho.

"Sure Talho! Anytime!" she replied.

"Wait a minute! Why do I have to go shopping with Nadia and Avriana?" asked Hap.

"Because I want someone around them that is strong enough to protect them if needed and you're the only one who can do it. Besides, it'll be a good experience for you since you have a girlfriend now." Everyone in the room snickered and laughed uncontrollably at Holland's last comment.

"Ok, alright, I get it already." he replied. "What about Renton and Eureka? Do they or the kids need anything?"

"Not that I know of." Talho replied. "Wait a minute! I know what we can do! But only if it's ok with you Holland."

"What's your idea?" he asked.

"Let's get them baby supplies!! I know they're keeping the gender of their baby a surprise, but that doesn't mean we cant' get them anything. We can get a crib, toys, changing station, diapers, bottles, and maybe a few other things."

"I think we can do that, but under one condition though."

"And what's that?"

"We keep it a surprise until just before the baby comes."

"My dear husband, you've got a deal."

"Good, it's settled then. Alright, everyone get back to work. We land in two days."

"Roger that." they all replied.

Two days later as planned, the GekkoState arrived in Dawson city. Before they landed, Anemone was finishing up on her latest checkup with Mischa.

"Everything looks great you two." said Mischa. "But now I know what that inconsistency was that I kept seeing."

"What inconsistency?" asked Anemone. "Is our baby ok?"

"They're both fine dear."

"Say what?"

"I said they're both ok."

"Are you saying what I think you are Mischa?" asked Dominic.

"Yes I am. Congratulations you two. You're having twins." All you could hear afterwards was a crash as Dominic fainted backwards onto the floor.

"DOMINIC!!" yelled Anemone.

Shortly afterwards, the GekkoState landed safely in Dawson City. As the crew split off, Dominic looked a little drained.

"Are you ok Dominic?" asked Talho. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I did. Two of them." he replied.

"Say what?"

"Don't mind him." said Anemone. "He just found out he's going to be the father of twins."

"You're having twins?!" said Talho.

"Yes we are. We just found out from Mischa a little bit ago after my checkup."

"Wow, looks like you two will need a bigger place other than your small apartment in Bellforest."

"We'll see. If they're identical then no, if not then yes. You're not trying to chase us off the Gekko are you?"

"Of course not Anemone. Why would I do that to my daughter? Come on now."

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry about that."

"It's ok dear. So Dominic, are you ready to be a father of two now?"

"Yeah, I am, even though I'm still a little surprised at what I heard today."

"I would be too." said Holland. "Anyways, here's your share of the list. We'll all meet at the front of the store in two hours."

"Sounds good. Let's go dear." said Dominic.

"Alright." Anemone replied.

Meanwhile at a local child's boutique, Hap, Nadia, and Avriana were looking for clothes for Avriana to wear since Maeter's clothes didn't really fit her.

"You enjoying yourself hap?" asked Nadia.

"Not really. I've never done this before, even with Eureka's kids. So I really have no idea what I'm doing."

"Well thankfully I do. We need shirts, pants, undergarments, shoes, socks, dresses, and sandals. Come on Avriana dear, we'll get you all taken care of."

"Ok." she replied happily.

"And don't try hiding Hap. You're helping too."

"Oh ok, if you say so."

"I do say so. And we're going to lunch afterwards, my treat." she then gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek as they began their shopping.

Two hours later, the first group of six finished their shopping at the local department and grocery stores.

"Everyone get what they needed?" asked Talho as they all met up.

"I know we did." said Anemone.

"Good. How about you Hilda and Matthieu?"

"We're all set and good to go." Hilda replied.

"Good, so are we. What's next Holland?"

"The baby supply store for Renton and Eureka. Has anyone seen Hap, Nadia, or Avriana yet?"

"Nope, not yet." said Dominic.

"Ok, one second then." said Holland as he pulled out a pocket communicator. "Hap, this is Holland. Do you copy?"

"Yeah I copy. What's up?"

"How's your progress so far?"

"We're getting ready to check out in a few minutes. Nadia is taking us to lunch on her after we're done here."

"Roger that. We're done here at the grocery and department stores. We're heading to the baby supply store next. When you're done, head back to the ship and let us know when you get there."

"Sounds good. See you soon. Hap out."

"Holland out." he replied. "Ok team, lets go get some baby supplies."

Back at the boutique, Hap, Nadia, and Avriana were finally checking out.

"Cute girl you have there." said the clerk. "Is she yours?"

"No, we're more like her foster parents, even though we were thinking about adopting her as our own." Nadia replied as she carefully nudged Hap, motioning him to play along.

"Yes we were." said Hap. "She's our little bundle of joy in our hectic lives."

"That's nice to hear." the clerk replied. "Good luck to all of you on that. That'll be two hundred and seventy six dollars and eighty cents please." Nadia then paid the woman and they gathered their things. "Have a good day now!"

"You too." said Nadia as they left. "See Hap, that wasn't so bad now was it?"

"Nope, I can't say it was. I actually enjoyed myself. Now let's go eat."

"Thanks for all the wonderful clothes Nadia." said Avriana as they walked along.

"Sure Avriana, anytime. Now you got some nice clothes to wear."

"Thank you too Hap."

"Sure thing kid. Now where's the food? I'm starving."

"There's a small restaurant up ahead that we passed earlier. We'll eat there before we go back to the ship."

"Sounds great. Let's go."

Fifteen minutes later, the rest of the group arrived at a local baby boutique. Holland and Talho had them all look for furniture that was kind of rustic looking so that it would match their cabin home. As they looked around, a certain furniture set caught Anemone's eyes.

"Holland, Talho! How does this look?" she asked. The furniture set she found had a medium knotty pine finish. It included the crib, changing table, dresser, and even a matching rocker. It was reasonably priced since it was on clearance.

"Good job Anemone, this is perfect." said Talho as she looked at everything. "Is this the best price you can do?" she asked the clerk.

"I may be able to take off a little more if you buy it as a group." the clerk replied.

"Does it include the mattress for the crib?"

"No, that's separate."

"How long have you had this set here?"

"A while now. This kind of look is hard to sell in this town for some reason."

"I'll tell you what then. If you can throw in a mattress, an ottoman for the rocker, and knock the price down as a group set, we'll have a deal. We'll even take it off your hands right now."

"I don't know. That's a hard bargain you drive ma'am."

"Take it or leave it. We're paying cash up front."

"Ok, ok. You have a deal. You sure know how to make a deal lady."

"It's only natural. With the rest of the baby stuff included, how much do we owe you?"

"Let's see. With taxes that'll be seven hundred and sixty two dollars and thirty cents."

"Sounds great." Talho replied as she paid the clerk. "Alright everyone, let's load up and go home."

"Right!!" they all replied.

Back at the restaurant, Hap, Nadia, and Avriana were just finishing up there lunches.

"That was great." said Hap. "Thanks for lunch Nadia."

"You're welcome Hap. How was your lunch Avriana?"

"It was awesome! I've never had spaghetti before. I'd have more if I wasn't so full."

"That's great to hear Avriana. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

"Hey Nadia, can I ask you something?"

"Sure Avriana. What is it?"

"What does adopting mean?"

"Well, it means to legally adopt a child who has no parents or home to go to. Children like that typically stay in orphanages or foster homes since they have no one to look over them. Why do you ask?"

"Do I have any parents or a home?"

"Well, the GekkoState is your home, but unfortunately you really don't have any parents to look over you right now."

"I see." Avriana replied sadly. "Could you be my parent?"

"ME?! Boy, I don't know dear. I've never had kids before, but I did use to baby sit when I was a teenager."

"Are you saying that you can't?" asked Avriana sadly, almost with tears in her eyes. Nadia saw this and knew she couldn't turn her down. Just the thought of her growing up without a family was too terrible a thought. Nadia then looked at Avriana with a warm smile and said "You know what? I'll do it, I'll be your mother. Just thinking of you not living with one is too hard and terrible to think about."

"Are you sure about that Nadia?" asked Hap.

"Sure, why not? Every child does deserve to have a parent in their lives."

"Yeah, I guess you're right Nadia. So you want to know what? I'll support you the entire time."

"You will? Thank you!!" What happened next surprised both of them. Nadia scooted over by Hap and kissed him for the very first time. Nadia then slowly backed up and said "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that."

"It's ok Nadia. You can do that anytime you want." Nadia's face just blushed as she got a somewhat shy look on her face. "Is this love? My heart is racing and I got butterflies in my stomach." she thought to herself as she smiled. "Nadia, are you ok?" asked Hap as they sat there.

"Yeah, I'm great. Let's head back to the ship now."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

"Come on Avriana, let's go home."

"Nadia, does that mean that I can call you mom like Eureka does with Talho?" asked Avriana.

"Well, I guess you can if you want to dear."

"OK! Lets go home mom!!" Avriana replied happily. The three then gathered their things, took each others hands, and walked back towards the Gekko.

Meanwhile at the ship, Holland, Talho, Hilda, Matthieu, Dominic, and Anemone were unloading their things into the ship from a rented moving van.

"Wow, we beat Hap, Nadia, and Avriana. I thought they'd be here first." said Matthieu.

"Yeah, that is weird. I'm sure they're fine though." Hilda replied.

"You're probably right. Hap wouldn't let any of them get hurt knowing him."

"No doubt." said Talho as she grabbed the mirror to Renton and Eureka's new baby dresser. "He'd protect them with his life if it came down to it."

"Like I would you?" said Holland as he walked by her with the rocking chair and kissed her.

"Yes like you would me." she replied with a smile.

"You're lucky to have him mom." said Anemone with a giggle.

"Yeah, I am, even though he's still a big baby like he was before we got married."

"I HEARD THAT!!" yelled Holland from the hangar. Everyone just laughed hysterically at his reaction. At that time, Hap, Nadia, and Avriana arrived at the ships hangar port.

"Welcome back you guys." said Dominic.

"Thanks." said Hap. "What's so funny? We heard you guys laughing from around the corner."

"Oh, that. The ladies were just picking on Holland."

"I see." he replied with a chuckle. "Looks like you guys bought out the town today."

"Looks like you didn't do too bad yourself." said Hilda.

"Nope we didn't. Everything went well." Nadia replied.

"Mom, can I go try on my new clothes?" asked Avriana.

"Sure, go on ahead." Avriana then smiled and ran into the ship.

"MOM??" said everyone in the hangar.

"Oh, yeah, about that." Nadia replied. "Avriana asked what adoption was when we were out earlier. Me and Hap told a clerk that we were thinking about adopting her to keep ourselves covered. When we explained what it was, she got sad and upset because she didn't have a family who could love her. So being the kind person that I am, I took her under my wing when she asked if I could be her mom."

"And I'm supporting her the entire way through." Hap added. "I guess you could almost call me her father."

"Well congratulations you two." said Talho. "I'm sure you'll do an excellent job."

"I hope so. I'm really nervous about it though." said Nadia.

"We'll help you out so don't worry." Hilda replied.

"Thanks Hilda."

"Hey Hap, can you help with this dresser?" asked Holland.

"Sure!" he replied. "See you in a bit Nadia."

"Ok Hap." she replied as she kissed him. This also left the group in awe as they watched. "Oh, that. Me and Hap kissed for the first time today." she said while blushing.

"Wow, a lot of things happened today." said Anemone. "Do you think it's love?"

"I'm not sure. When we first kissed my heart raced, I got butterflies in my stomach and I couldn't stop blushing."

"It's love." said Anemone, Talho, and Hilda with a smile.

"Yeah, I guess it is. Hey, do you guys need help carrying things in?"

"Could you?" asked Talho.

"Sure." she replied as she joined them.

The next day, the Gekko was back up into the skies above. All the restocking was done and Eureka and Renton's baby surprise was carefully hidden away so that it wouldn't be seen. News of Nadia's taking Avriana in spread like wildfire amongst the rest of the crew and she kept getting praise left and right, even about her and Hap's first kiss. Avriana was happy too knowing that she had someone who would love and care for her for the rest of her life.

Renton was still on bed rest for the time being, even though Mischa had went out and got a wheelchair in case he wanted to move around the ship a bit. Eureka and the kids helped him move around whenever they needed to. Anemone and Dominic were always right there with them getting his meals or reports since that was all he could to at the time.

Two days later, Hap, Hilda, and Talho were down sick with a severe case of the flu. Battles were once again hard fought for the team.

"Matthieu, watch your rear!!" yelled Hilda over the radio. Against orders, she had went out to help out in the battle anyways.

"Roger that!" he replied. The crew was once again in battle with multiple KLF units. Hilda and Matthieu were engaged with five of them while the 909 and Venturion were engaged with four each.

"Dammit! They keep coming out of the woodwork! Gekko, can you help cover?" asked Holland.

"Negative! We're engaged as well! You're on your own!"

"Roger that! Venturion, can you get up to full strength at all?"

"Not without the Nirvash! Scratch two!" Anemone replied.

"I guess we'll have to rely on pure skill then. Alright, let's go team!"

"Roger that!"

Back on the ship, Maurice and Avriana were sitting in the ships lounge cuddled close trying to protect each other.

"Are you ok Avriana?" asked Maurice.

"I'm fine thank you. I'm just worried about the others. They can't keep up much longer."

"Yeah I know. Momma and Papa can't do anything either."

"What should we do then?" With a look of sheer determination on his face, Maurice said "We're heading out to help them."

"But Maurice, we're not allowed to!!"

"Avriana, it's either that or let our friends and family get hurt and die out there." Avriana looked at him with understanding eyes and said "Ok, let's go help our family."

"Leader, I'm out of ammo!!" yelled Matthieu.

"I'm running low too!" said Anemone.

"Hilda, can you help cover out here?" asked Holland desperately.

"Negative!" she replied. "Scratch two!"

"Dammit! We can't keep up with these guys! Can't anyone help?" just then multiple laser fire flew by him taking out several KLF's. "Who in the hell was that?" Right after he asked that, the Newhope flew right past him. "Maurice, Avriana, get back on the ship!" he yelled.

"Sorry Holland, but not this time!" Maurice replied.

"Crap! Alright, everyone keep them covered! Lets finish this thing!"

"Right!"

"Maurice, we've got two on our right!" said Avriana.

"Alright, I got them!" he replied. As Maurice turned back to face them head on, the eyes on the new hope glowed an intense green. To the rebels, it was almost alien like.

"Take it out now!" said the second of two units who were chasing after them. "It's only one LFO for gods sake!"

"Don't you think I'm trying?" the first unit responded as he fired his remaining missiles at them.

"Maurice, watch out!!" yelled Avriana.

"I'm on it!" Maurice yelled as he fired at the incoming missiles. It took him several shots and a lot of dodging moves to avoid them, but he eventually got them. He then turned head on at them once again and engaged both of them with their scythe blade. "Come on Avriana! Lets finish these guys off like my parents would!"

"OK!" she replied. The two then charged in at full speed taking out both of the KLF's boards and weapons. "Good job Maurice." said Avriana calmly and happily as she took his hand. Just then Holland came over the radio. "Everyone retreat! We've acquired too much damage to the ships and we're low on ammo! Head back to the ship now!"

"But Holland!" said Maurice.

"I'm sorry Maurice, but we have to, so get moving!" he replied. "Gekko, once everyone is back on board, do an emergency trajectory flight!!"

"Roger that! Preparing for trajectory flight now!!" Doggie replied. Ten intense minutes later all the LFO's were landed and secured back into the ship. "Doggie, get us out of here now!!" yelled Holland when he got to the bridge.

"Right!" said Doggie.

"I'm sorry everyone." said Holland to himself with a heavy heart as they took off towards the atmosphere. "This is the most painful thing I've ever had to do in my military career."


	22. Promised Land

-1Chapter 22- promised land

Another ten minutes later, the GekkoState was out of the atmosphere and floating in space. Holland was in the captains seat sulking and upset. He had never had to leave or give up on a battle like that. It left a heavy feeling in his heart.

"Don't be so hard on yourself Holland." said Ken-Goh. "You did what was best for the crew and the ship."

"I've never had to give up like that before. It makes me sick just thinking about it."

"We had no choice. The ship was beginning to take damage and the LFO's are pretty scuffed up also. I'm just amazed that Hilda went out as sick as she is."

"No doubt. I'll thank her later. Have Axel get to work on the LFO's tomorrow."

"Roger that."

"Anyone else getting sick by the way?"

"I think Gidget is as well as Nadia. Hap and Talho are in bed completely drained. We're watching Eureka and the kids to make sure they're ok though."

"That's fine. We'll be up here for a bit so do a complete check of the ship. I'll be in the dining hall if you need anything."

"Roger that."

As this was going on, Mischa was busy going over everyone's flu medication.

"What a time for everyone to get sick." she thought to herself as she separated everything out. Just then Maeter walked into her office.

"Mischa, I don't feel too good."

"You don't? Come over here and I'll check you out ok?" Maeter then groggily walked over to her. "Lets take your temperature first." As she did that, she asked Maeter "Do you have a funny feeling in your stomach?" Maeter nodded yes in reply. "Well, your temperature is at one hundred and one, so you definitely have a fever. You probably got the flu also. Go change into your pajamas and get into bed. I'll take care of you from there ok dear?"

"Ok Mischa." she replied. Maeter then left her office and went into her room.

"It never ends." Mischa said to herself after she left.

Meanwhile, Holland was in the dining hall when Eureka walked in.

"Hi Eureka."

"Hey Holland."

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine thank you. A little tired from the baby though."

"That's understandable. How is Renton holding up?"

"He's doing well but is still extremely sore. It worries me a bit."

"I see. Is Mischa still checking on him at all?"

"Yes she is. She's doing that daily."

"Good to hear. Getting dinner for yourself then?"

"Me and Renton since he's hungry also."

"Let me help. You shouldn't have to work by yourself."

"What about your dinner?"

"I'll join you and Renton. Is that ok?"

"That's fine. I'm sure Renton wouldn't mind at all." she replied with a smile.

"Matthieu, what are you doing?" asked Ken-Goh.

"Helping Mischa out giving everyone their medications. She just added Maeter to her sick people list."

"One of the kids got sick eh?"

"Yes she did."

"I see. Have you seen Holland?"

"The last time I saw him he was walking with Eureka to her room carrying food. So I'm guessing they're eating together."

"Ok sounds good. Continue helping Mischa then, just don't get sick yourself."

"I'll try not to. See you later." Before Matthieu got too much farther, Mischa called him from behind. "Hey Mischa, what's up?"

"Have you seen Nadia? She wasn't in her room."

"She's in Hap's room passed out on his sofa. I guess she must have been checking on him when she got sick and fell asleep in there."

"Ok, I'll go check on her then. Thanks Matthieu."

"Anytime."

Meanwhile in the lounge, Avriana and Maurice were talking about their first battle.

"Were you scared Maurice when we went out there?"

"Kind of, but I was more determined that anything to protect my family, especially my mom and dad."

"Is that what you call family? Protecting them?"

"Yeah, it is. My parents went through a lot to keep us protected as we were growing up. So I guess it's my turn to repay the favor."

"You love them that much Maurice?"

"Yes I do."

"I guess I feel that way about my mom."

"You have a mom?"

"Mhm. Nadia took me in since I was the only child here who didn't have one."

"That was nice of her."

"Yeah, it was." she replied with a gentle smile.

"Anyways, you did well out there. Thanks for the help."

"You did well too Maurice. The Newhope was happy to be with you."

"And I was happy to be with you."

"You were?" she replied with her eyes wide open.

"Yeah, I was. I know we've only been together a short time, but I feel like I've known you for forever." His response made her blush and put a warm smile on her face. She then said "Yeah, I feel that way too." as she held his hand.

"I know we're still young, but I know this is a sign of things to come." As Maurice bent in to give her a quick peck on the cheek, she inadvertently turned her head to look at him, causing him to kiss her on the lips, startling both of them. "Oh, I'm sorry!"

"It's ok." she replied blushing. "I kind of liked it."

"You did?" Avriana replied by nodding her head yes while smiling.

"Well, lets keep this to ourselves then ok? I'm going to go check on my parents. Want to come along?"

"No, I think I'll go say hi to my mom since I haven't seen her yet this afternoon."

"Ok, see you later then!" he replied as he left the lounge. Avriana just sat there for a moment and smiled. She then put her fingers to her lips and though to herself "Yes, this was a sign of things to come. This is my future."

Meanwhile in Haps room, Mischa was checking on Hap and Nadia to see how they were doing. Hap was passed out on his bed while Nadia was still sleeping on his sofa.

"Nadia, wake up." said Mischa. "I've got your flu medication for you."

"Thanks Mischa." she replied as she slowly got up. "I guess I must have fell asleep earlier."

"Yes you did. I want you to go to your room though and rest there ok?"

"That's fine." she replied. As she got up and left Haps room, Avriana came walking up besides her.

"Mom, are you ok?"

"Not at the moment dear. I'm sick right now."

"Will you be ok?" she asked worryingly.

"Yeah I will. It's only the flu so I'll be ok in a few days."

"That's good."

"You seem different by the way. Did something happen to you?"

"No, I'm just in a really good mood, that's all."

"Ok if you say so. Well, I'm going to go rest. Why don't you go play with Maeter ok?"

"I can't. She's sick too."

"She is? Oh my, this flu is getting around. Why don't you go to Renton and Eureka's then. I'll see you a little bit later." Avriana's eyes lit up when she said that. "Ok mom!!" she replied as she took off towards their room. Nadia just laughed and said "There is something going on with that girl, but I'll figure it out later." She then went into her room and fell asleep in her bed.

Back in Renton and Eureka's room, Renton, Eureka, and Holland had finished their dinner together. Linck was happily playing with Stephen while Maurice was watching a movie.

"Thanks for joining us Holland." said Renton. "Thanks for helping Eureka also."

"Don't mention it. It helps keep me away from a sick wife anyways."

"You shouldn't say that Holland." said Eureka. "You should be taking care of her."

"Yeah I know. I just don't want to get sick either that's all."

"I can't say I blame you." said Renton. "How is she doing by the way?"

"She's still pretty bad but getting better. She should be herself in a few days."

"That's good to hear." he replied. At that time, Avriana walked into the room.

"Hi Avriana." said Eureka. "Why aren't you playing with Maeter?"

"She's in bed sick."

"She is? MAETER!!" Eureka yelled as she ran out of the room.

"Didn't she know?"

"No Avriana, she didn't. I guess Mischa was so busy she failed to tell us." Renton replied.

"I'm sorry. Was I not supposed to say anything?"

"You're fine Avriana. Thanks for letting us know. It helps us to also take care of her."

"Oh, ok." she replied.

"Speaking of taking care of someone, it had better go check on Talho. I'll take care of the dishes. Avriana, you and Stephen stay here with Renton. Do you think you can handle it Renton?" asked Holland.

"Yeah, I think I've got it. Maurice can help out if I need it, right Maurice?"

"Right Papa!" he replied.

"Alright, I'll see all of you later then." Holland then left the room and headed towards his. A few minutes later Eureka returned to their room.

"Hi love. How is she?" asked Renton.

"Sick but ok, Mischa gave her medication already. She's sleeping now."

"That's good to hear. Holland left us in charge of Avriana and Stephen while he checks on Talho."

"That's fine." she replied. As Eureka sat next to Renton on their bed, Avriana sat next to Maurice on the sofa.

"What are you watching Maurice?" asked Avriana.

"A movie about the war of the past. It's really one of those educational movies, but I like it. Want to watch it with me?"

"Ok." she replied.

"Hey, Renton, do you see what I'm seeing?" asked Eureka quietly.

"Yeah, I do." he replied with a warm smile. "Our son is growing up before us."

"Yes he is." Eureka replied softly as she held on to Renton's right arm. The two then cuddled and smiled as they carefully watched Maurice and Avriana hold each others hands.

The next morning, Holland, Hap, Ken-Goh, and Doggie met in the meeting room to go over their next strategy.

"So, where are we going next?" asked Ken-Goh.

"Hacienda, or FAC51 if you don't remember it. Jurgens main base is there and he said we could use it for repairs since they rebuilt it." said Holland.

"Hacienda eh?" said Stoner as he walked in. "It's been a while since we've been there."

"Yeah it has. The memories we have of that place though aren't very pleasant."

"I remember. We almost lost Eureka, Renton, and the Nirvash there."

"As well as the Gekko." said Ken-Goh. "We almost got buried alive in there."

"That we did. Why would they rebuild it though? It's an easy target as open as it is."

"That may be true, but it's their most heavily guarded base, so no one can get near it without clearance." Holland replied.

"And we have that clearance?"

"We're part of the federation, so why wouldn't we?"

"That is true. When do we arrive then?"

"Tomorrow, so they know we're arriving. I'm sorry we have you here Hap, but you needed to know this."

"That's fine so don't worry about it. But I'm going back to bed now." he replied. As he was walking out of the meeting room, he turned around and said "By the way, I ran into Mischa on the way over here. You can add Anemone and Dominic to the sick persons list."

"Them too now? Man, it gets worse everyday. Alright, thanks Hap. Go get some rest now."

"Ok, later guys." Hap then went to his room and crashed on his bed.

The next day, the GekkoState arrived in the area of FAC51.

"Hacienda, this is federation battleship GekkoState requesting permission to land for repairs, over." said Holland over the radio.

"GekkoState, this is Hacienda. Federation code confirmed. Jurgens has already alerted us to your situation. Permission to land has been granted."

"Roger that." Holland replied. "Doggie, take us down easy."

"Roger that." Ten minutes later, the Gekko was safely landed inside Hacienda. When Holland disembarked, he was met by a familiar name. "Mr.Novak, I'm admiral Benson."

"Well well, the last time we met, it was in a battle against each other."

"Those were bad times indeed, and I apologize for that. I hear you're in need of repairs to your ship and LFO's."

"Yes we are. Many of my crew members are sick, so I'll need a possible quarantine also."

"I'll have that done right away. Have anyone who isn't sick disembark and move your LFO's out right away."

"Can do." Holland replied. A little bit later, all the LFO's were out of the ship as well as any remaining crew members who were still healthy, which were only Stephen, Renton, Eureka, Avriana, Linck, Maurice, Doggie, and Matthieu. Mischa stayed on board to take care of the rest of them.

"Thank you Mr.Novak." said Benson.

"Just call me Holland. You don't have to be so formal."

"Understood. You can call me Jon. I believe this young lady is Eureka Novak right? I heard you adopted her Holland."

"Yes we did. But her last name isn't Novak, it's Thurston."

"She's married?"

"Yes I am." she replied. "This is my husband, Renton Thurston."

"Ahh, the infamous hero's of the world. Why are you in a wheelchair Mr.Thurston?"

"Accident on the ship sir. One of our children left a toy in the hangar that I tripped on."

"How many children do you have?"

"Three adopted sir, with one on the way as you can see."

"I can tell. Our doctors will see that you two get the care that you need. Soldier, see them to their quarters."

"Yes sir."

"Thanks for the help Jon. It's really appreciated." said Holland.

"No thanks needed. I'll have my maintenance crews get to work on the damaged LFO's and the ship. You go get some rest."

"Thanks, I will."

A little bit later, Renton and Eureka were unpacking their things into their temporary quarters.

"Eureka, do you feel ok being here again?" asked Renton.

"It feels strange, but I'm ok so far. I don't feel tired though like I did before. I feel more relaxed than anything. I wonder if they are continuing to mine LFO's here?"

"I don't know dear. But listen, I'm tired and need some sleep, so I'm going to take a nap. Want to join me?"

"Not right now dear. I'm going to go check on the kids and make sure they're settled in. You can go ahead and take a nap."

"Ok. See you later dear."

"Sleep tight my dear Renton." she replied. She then gave him a gentle kiss and left to go check on the kids.

Back on the Gekko, Mischa was running about trying to take care of everyone. Talho was the first one she checked on.

"Mischa, where are we?" she asked.

"At Hacienda getting repairs."

"You mean FAC51?"

"Yes."

"Did the federation rebuild it?"

"Looks that way. The ship and LFO's are being repaired now as we speak. Enough about that though. How are you feeling today?"

"Getting better, but I'm still not at a hundred percent yet."

"That's good. I'm going to go check on the others, so continue resting ok?"

"Ok. Thanks Mischa." Talho then got back under her covers and fell back asleep.

Later that night as everyone slept, Eureka and Renton tossed and turned. Something that night was keeping them awake for some reason.

"Renton, can you sleep at all?"

"No I can't" he replied. "I know it's not the nap I took, so what's going on?"

"Hold on a minute!" she replied. Eureka then closed her eyes in concentration for a couple of minutes. Afterwards she opened her eyes and said "It's the Nirvash. She wants to see us."

A little bit later, Renton and Eureka went out to where the Nirvash was parked. "Nirvash?" asked Eureka.

"Renton, Eureka, it's good to see you again. We have a small mission we need to go on."

"But how Nirvash? We me being pregnant and Renton injured, we can't go anywhere."

"I'll do all the work Eureka, you just have to trust me."

"I trust her dear." said Renton. "Nirvash, how long will we be?"

"Only a day Renton. There's something that we need to pick up."

"Like what Nirvash?"

"You two will find out when we get there, but we must hurry."

"Ok Nirvash, let's go." The Nirvash then carefully helped Renton and Eureka get onboard and in the cockpit. As they took off, little did they know that they tripped a silent alarm that alerted the base to their exiting. A few hours later, they arrived at a spot that they all knew too well- The Great Wall.

"Renton, Eureka, are you ready?" asked the Nirvash.

"Yes we are Nirvash." said Eureka.

"Ok, hold on tight." The Nirvash then went into jet mode and took off towards the promised land.

Back on the base, the entire area was on alert as they went into full patrol mode looking for the Nirvash.

"How would they get into it though? They're in no shape to." said Holland.

"I can tell you sir." said a security guard. "We got everything on tape, and you probably won't believe what you'll see." As he and Benson watched the tape with the guard, they all noticed the Nirvash helping them get in.

"How is that possible?" asked Benson.

"Those two have a special connection to the Nirvash, so anything is possible with them."

"Amazing." he replied.

"Is there any sound?" asked Holland.

"Yes there is, but I have to fine tune it. Give me a few minutes." As Holland and Benson waited impatiently, the guard fine tuned the sound and volume. When he was done, they listened to the conversation.

"They have to pick something up? A small mission? What's going on?" asked Holland.

"Shall we go after them Holland." asked Benson.

"No, they said that they'll be back in a day. Keep the patrols up though so we can be alerted when they come back."

"Roger that." Benson replied. He then ordered a full twenty four hour patrol to keep an eye out for the Nirvash.

"Another control cluster?! But how?" asked Renton as they entered the promised land.

"It was formed when Avriana came to be." said the Nirvash. "That's why it's up to Maurice and all of you to protect her."

"I see. I guess we're heading towards the center of it?"

"Yes we are Renton."

"Alright, let's go." he replied as they flew in. A few minutes later they then landed at an ever familiar park bench.

"Renton, we've been here before." said Eureka.

"Yeah, we have. It's where we promised we'd never leave each others sides. But why here Nirvash?"

"You'll see." she replied in a strange, happy tone as she helped them down. As Renton and Eureka sat there and looked around, a familiar, friendly voice sounded.

"Renton, what happened to you?"

"SIS!!" yelled Renton.

"How are you doing son?" said a man in a deep, masculine tone."

"DAD!!"

"Eureka, looks like you're doing well." said Diane.

"You too Diane." Eureka replied.

"Dad, can I ask why we were brought here?" asked Renton.

"We're coming home son."

"But how? Everyone thinks you're both dead."

"We'll clarify that later Renton." said Diane. "We're ready to return to you."

"You're coming home?" said Eureka.

"Yes we are Eureka. By the way, how far along are you?"

"A little over seven months."

"Is it yours Renton?"

"Yes it is sis. We're married also."

"I'm sorry we've missed so much in your lives Renton." said Adrock. "I hope you can fill us in on everything that has happened."

"We will dad. Are we ready to return then?"

"In a moment." said Diane. "There are two others who are coming with us."

"Who?" asked Eureka. Just then a young Norb and Sakuya walked up the stairs.

"NORB! SAKUYA!!" said Eureka happily.

"Nice seeing you again Eureka!!" said Sakuya with a smile.

"Renton, I see you two are doing well together." said Norb.

"Yeah we are. So you two are returning also?"

"Yes. We plan on rebuilding our Voderak homeland together."

"Sounds great. Nirvash, are we ready to go back home then?"

"Yes Renton, it's time to go."

"Eureka dear, let's go home."

"Ok." she replied as she gently kissed him.

Back at Hacienda, the full patrol mode was on as the search continued for the Nirvash."

"Anything yet?" asked Holland.

"Not yet, but not to worry, we'll find them Holland."

"Thanks Admiral."

Several hours later, the Nirvash landed at the Voderak homeland of Ciades Del Cielo.

"It's the white devil!! It has returned!!" several people yelled as they landed.

"My people, that is enough!" yelled Norb. "These are the saviors of your world! You should cherish them!"

"It's Norb and lady Sakuya!" said a high priest. "Sorry if we upset you master Norb."

"Don't worry about it." he replied as they climbed out of the Nirvash. "Renton, Eureka, thank you for bringing us here. Where are you going next?"

"Back to Hacienda. We have a family we love that is probably looking for us." said Eureka.

"I see." said Sakuya with a smile. "Good luck on your ventures together."

"Thank you Sakuya." they then closed the canopy and took off towards Hacienda.

"Holland, what's going on?" asked Talho.

"Talho, what are you doing here? You should be in bed resting."

"I'm ok, I'm better now. What's with all the ruckus?"

"We're looking for Renton, Eureka, and the Nirvash. They went out on some sort of mission."

"Mission?" she asked. Just then an alarm went off.

"Unknown LFO entering the area! Confirming id now!" said the guard. Several moments later, the guard said "id confirmed! It's the Nirvash type zero!"

"Alright, clear them to land!" said Benson.

"Aye sir!" Several intense minutes later, the Nirvash was safely landed back inside Hacienda.

"Renton, Eureka, are you ok?" asked Holland as he ran towards them.

"Relax Holland we're fine." Renton laughed. "We just had to pick up a few people."

"Pick up people? Like who?"

"Norb and Sakuya to start."

"They're back?! Where are they?"

"We dropped them off at the Voderak homeland of Ciades del Cielo. They want to try to rebuild their city together."

"That's amazing! Who else?" asked Talho. After she asked that, Adrock and Diane came out of the cockpit.

"D-Diane." said Holland.

"Hi Holland. You look well. So do you Talho."

"Adrock, I thought you were dead. Nobody saw you after the first summer of love."

"No, I wasn't passed on at all Holland. I just merely merged with the scab coral like Diane did."

"Holland, what do we do now? We don't have any room for them on the ship. We're already at maximum capacity."

"I'm not sure. Benson, is there a chance that they can join Jurgens on his ship?"

"It should be no problem at all, even though we will be keeping your return quiet for now. We don't want the rebel forces getting any ideas on how to capture you."

"Thank you Admiral." said Diane.

"Anyways, when will we be air born again Benson?" asked Holland.

"Three days max."

"Sounds good. I'm going to bed then since I haven't gotten any sleep lately. I'll see all of you tomorrow then."

"I'll join you Holland."

"Ok dear. Later everyone."

"Night mom and dad." said Eureka. Adrock and Diane just looked at her strangely.

"Eureka, why did you call them your parents?" asked Diane.

"Because they adopted me and my sister Anemone."

"There's two of you?"

"No, there's three. We have a little brother also."

"They adopted three of you?"

"No, our little brother is theirs."

"Are they married?"

"Yes, they are."

"I see." said Diane in a sad tone. "Anyways, let's go catch up Renton. We have a lot to talk about."

Three days later as planned, the GekkoState and their LFO's were done and ready to go.

"Renton, are you sure you don't want to stay here with us?" asked Diane.

"Yes sis, I'm sure. My home is on the Gekko with my wife, kids, and family, so you know where I'll always be at."

"Alright. You guys take care of yourselves up there."

"We will sis. We always do."

"Renton, we're ready to leave, so let's go!" said Holland as he walked by.

"Roger that." he replied. "So, where are you and dad going next?"

"Probably to Tresor to help do research with the new KLF prototypes and do some more research on the scab corals."

"Well we'll see you there then since it's one of our supply stops."

"See you soon then Renton. Take care of him Eureka."

"Don't worry, I will. Lets go dear."

"Alright. Bye sis!"

"Bye Renton!" Diane replied. Eureka and Renton then boarded the ship with the help of Holland and Talho. They then took off towards destinations unknown.

"Father, do you think he'll be safe out there?"

"He has been so far. So we can trust him and the crew he lives with. It is his home you know."

"You're right father." she replied as the ship flew off into the distance.

"Holland, are you ok?" asked Talho. "You haven't said a word since we left Diane at Hacienda."

"Sorry about that. I guess I just can't believe that she's back that's all."

"Want to talk about it?"

"No, not really. I just want to focus on you, our family, and this war."

"Wow, you really are turning into a family man."

"Hey, I have to somehow. I wouldn't be a husband if I didn't."

"Speaking of that, I was thinking earlier."

"About what?"

"Extending our family."

"You're pregnant?!"

"No, I'm not. I just thought it would be nice to have another child of our own."

"Well we already have three, but I'll think about it. It's definitely not out of the question."

"That's fine. How about we go join our crew now?"

"Sounds like a plan. How is everyone doing with the flu by the way?" he asked while they walked towards the bridge.

"Thanks to Mischa everyone is doing great. We should be back at full strength in a few days."

"Thank god for that. I was getting worried for a second there."

"Yeah, me too. So, where are we heading next?"

"Not sure yet. We may just cruise around until everyone is better."

"Sounds like a plan to me. That'll give everyone time to get better."

"That's the point." Holland replied as they reached the bridge.

"Care for some tea?" Holland and Talho just froze in their steps with their eyes wide open. That was a voice that they hadn't heard in ages. They then turned around to see a familiar, friendly old face.

"Gonzy?" asked Holland.

"Holland, Talho, good to see you again."

"But how? Where did you come from?" asked Talho.

"That's a question I can never answer. It wouldn't be fair if I did." he replied with a smile. Talho and Holland just smiled also. "Don't worry about me though. I'll be around."

"Yes, we know." Holland and Talho replied.

Meanwhile in Renton and Eureka's room, the young couple was sitting and reading books quietly in their bed while Maeter slept between them peacefully since she wanted to be by her parents. Renton and Eureka just looked at her and then at each other with a warm smile before going back to their books. The rest of the crew was still in their rooms recuperating from their little epidemic.

A little while later after the Gekko was cruising on the High altitude leylines, an emergency broadcast was sent out to all the federation battleships.

"_Attention all federation fleet ships."_ said Jurgens. _"An urgent matter has just come to our attention. Intelligence has intercepted a message from the rebel forces stating that they intend to make Bellforest their next target. All available ships should now converge to protect this city. Ground forces are already there keeping an eye on things and keeping the citizens safe. Please get there as soon as you possibly can so we can avoid any tragedies to this city. Jurgens out."_

"Holland, what do we do? We're not in any shape to do anything right now."

"We have to wait. We have no choice. Once everyone is well, we're heading to Bellforest, the home of our family."

"Our home? But we have a home Holland."

"Well now we have two, just like the others do."

"Alright then, let's go protect our home."


	23. Under Siege

-1Chapter 23- Under siege

"Renton, Eureka, are you guys busy?" asked Talho.

"Not at the moment. What's up?" asked Renton. "And try to keep it down. Maeter is sleeping."

"I will. The way it looks, you two will be going home earlier than you thought."

"Why is that mom?" asked Eureka.

"We just got an emergency broadcast from Jurgens. Looks like the rebel forces are planning on attacking Bellforest next. We along with other federation ships are heading there now."

"How long will it take?" asked Eureka worryingly.

"Well, we can't do anything just yet. With most of the crew still sick, we'd be sitting ducks out there. We have to wait another two to three days before we're at full strength. All we ask is that you hang tight until then."

"Is Bellforest protected right now?"

"Ground forces are there now, but I'm not sure how long they'll hold up before air support gets there if they do attack. We'll keep you posted though ok?"

"Thanks Talho. You do that. Just get us there soon ok?" said Renton.

"We will. See you soon alright?"

"Always." said Renton with a warm smile. Talho returned his smile and then left their room to return to the bridge.

Meanwhile on the bridge, Holland was on a video conference with Jurgens.

"Do we have any ships at Bellforest yet?" asked Holland.

"Luckily yes. Three ships are already patrolling the area now and so far everything's been quiet."

"I wonder if it's just a hoax of some sort?"

"I don't know. Rebel activity has been quite active in that region lately so we're not taking any chances."

"That is true. Are we keeping Tresor covered?"

"Coverage there won't be changed. That would be too much of a risk. If that's what they think we are going to do they're sadly mistaken."

"Yeah, you're right about that. But listen, we should be in Bellforest in a few days. We still have sick crew aboard the ship but they should be fine in a couple of days hopefully. We'll keep you posted on our situation as things progress."

"Roger that, you do that. As soon as you're up to full strength, get out there and start patrolling right away. We're counting on you."

"We won't let you down, I promise."

"I'll hold you to that captain. Izumo out."

"Gekko out."

"Holland, were you talking to someone?" Talho had just returned to the bridge from Renton and Eureka's room.

"Yeah, I was talking to Jurgens. Seems like they already have some patrol ships in Bellforest. We just got orders to help keep patrols there when we're back at full strength."

"Roger that. I already warned Renton and Eureka of the situation, so they know what's going on."

"Are they holding up ok?"

"Yeah, they're fine. Maeter was with them sleeping when I told them. I guess she wanted to be by her parents for some reason."

"Nothing wrong with that. I'm going to check with Mischa on how our situation is. Can you keep an eye on the bridge for a little bit?"

"Yeah, I've got it handled here, so take your time."

"Thanks dear. What would I do without you?"

"You'd be lost and you know it."

"Yeah, I would be." The two then gave each other a slow passionate kiss before he left. When the two released their hold on each other, Holland said something that was somewhat of a rarity for him. "I love you Talho."

"I love you too Holland." she replied. They then gave each other a warm smile before Holland left the bridge.

"Renton, are you ok?" asked Eureka.

"My home town, in danger. Our home, everyone I knew, all in danger. Why? What did they do to the rebel forces to deserve this?"

"The rebels don't care who they hurt dear. You know that. All they believe in is their own version of the truth, which is the one that Dewey set out for them."

"Yes I know. I just hate the fact that we can't do anything to help."

"So do I Renton, but we have a family right now that we need to worry about more than anything else."

"Yes, I know." At that time, Maeter started slowly waking up.

"Momma, what's going on?" She asked.

"Nothing dear. Me and your father are just talking. Go back to sleep now."

"Ok Momma." she replied. Maeter then gently rested her head in Eureka's lap and fell asleep while Eureka gently stroked her hair with her hand. She then looked at Renton with a motherly smile that he had never seen out of her before. He finally knew at that time that this was a war that they would no longer be fighting. With their child being so close to arriving in their lives, he knew what he had to do. It was time for them to temporarily retire from battle. They would always remain members of the GekkoState, but fighting was now out of the question.

"Mischa, how are we looking crew wise?" asked Holland.

"We should hopefully be set either today or tomorrow. A lot of them are still resting, but the epidemic is now over."

"Thank god. When you check on everyone one last time, tell them we're having a meeting in the lounge tomorrow after breakfast. I want to alert them to our current situation."

"And what situation is that Holland?"

"You'll find out tomorrow. I'll be in our room resting if you need anything."

"You getting sick on me now?"

"No I'm not. Everything that's going on has worn me out a bit, that's all."

"That's fine. See you tomorrow then."

"DOMINIC! Stop it!!" Anemone giggled as Dominic ran his fingers up and down her bare skin, tickling her as he did. The curves and feel of her skin and body felt wonderful to him. This was his woman. His life, and his wife. She was also the future mother of his children.

"What's the matter dear? Does that tickle?" he asked.

"Yes it does." she giggled as he continued to run his fingers up and down her side.

"How are you feeling by the way?"

"I'm fine dear. How about you?"

"Same here. The flu that was going around the ship sure hit us hard. But that shower we took felt great this afternoon. I think we needed it."

"Yeah it was refreshing. And will you quit tickling me!!" she laughed.

"Why? I'm enjoying myself!" he replied laughing. As the two lay on their bed laughing and giggling at each other, every touch that Dominic made on her began to leave a trail of fire along the way. As she began to wiggle and squirm with every touch, her breath got faster along with her heartbeat. When she couldn't take anymore, she then took Dominic in a hard, slow, yet soft passionate kiss. When she finally released her hold on him, she said "Dominic?"

"Yes dear?"

"Make love to me."

The next morning, everyone was up and well in the lounge after a hearty breakfast.

"Good to see everyone doing well." said Holland. "But right now is no time to celebrate. We have a problem." Everyone just looked at him with worried eyes while they waited for him to continue. "Bellforest may be next to come under attack by the rebel forces. We were alerted of this yesterday but didn't say anything until we knew everyone was better. Renton and Eureka are already aware of the situation so they know what to expect."

"Dominic, our home." said Anemone worryingly.

"Yes I know. Just listen." Dominic replied.

"Now that everyone is better, we're heading there now." said Talho. "Ground forces arrived there right away and there are also a few patrol ships watching the area. Our orders are to go there and help support by doing patrols."

"So everyone get ready for a potential heated battle if the time arrives." said Holland. "Until then continue resting if possible since it'll be a couple of days before we arrive there. Renton, Eureka, you two will be staying at your place since you're in no shape to do anything. Dominic, Anemone, you two will go to your place. Try to get as much intelligence as you can from there. We'll keep the Venturion as close as possible in case we need you for support."

"Roger that." said Dominic.

"Axel, can Hilda and Matthieu stay with you at your place?" asked Talho.

"Shouldn't be a problem." he replied. "There's enough room for them."

"Good. Hilda, you and Matthieu stay with him then. We'll keep the 606 and 808 in his garage for easy access if needed."

"Roger that." said Hilda.

"Mischa, you're going with Renton and Eureka to watch over them." said Holland.

"That's fine." she replied.

"The rest of us will stay on the ship at the airport. That way we have pretty much the entire city covered. We'll be putting radios in Renton and Eureka's place as well as Dominic and Anemone's so that way we can keep in easy contact with each other. Nadia."

"Yes Holland?"

"You will now be put in charge of the crew if anyone gets hurt or sick while we're out there. We'll be counting on you, so don't let us down."

"I won't, I promise."

"In that case, we have something special for Nadia, Dominic, and Anemone. Come on up here you guys." said Talho. When the three got to the front of the lounge, Holland and Talho handed them all one box each.

"What are these?" asked Anemone.

"Open them and find out my dear daughter." said Talho with a smile. When they opened them, each one of them held up a black medium duty spring jacket with the GekkoState emblem on the upper left hand side.

"What are these for?" asked Nadia.

"This makes you three official members of this ship. Congratulations."

"Thanks mom!!" said Anemone.

"Yes, thank you." Dominic replied. Nadia just stood there with tears in her eyes.

"What's the matter Nadia?" asked Holland.

"I've never been accepted into anything like this before. Thank you." she replied.

"You're welcome Nadia." said Talho. "You're part of our family now, just like you are with Avriana."

"Thank you everyone." she replied.

"As for everyone else, you will find your jackets laying on your beds in your rooms. Even the kids get one. After you get them, get to your stations. We have work to do."

"Roger that." they all replied. When everyone left the lounge, Holland headed towards the hangar to try to see if he could communicate with the Nirvash one last time.

"Nirvash, I know you belong to Renton and Eureka, but I need to talk to you one last time. Please."

"I hear you Holland. Is there something wrong?" she replied.

"No. I just need you to help keep Renton and Eureka safe. Get them and their children home safely for me and Talho. We don't know how long we'll be in this battle or even this war for that matter. So please, do this not only for them, but for us, their parents."

"I will Holland. I give you my promise as their protector that I will get them home safely for you and Talho."

"Thank you Nirvash." Holland then left the hangar to join the rest of his crew.

Two days later, the GekkoState arrived safely at the Bellforest airport. When everyone assembled at the front of the ship and the LFO's, Holland and Talho noticed everyone was wearing their jackets with matching black pants.

"What's up with this?" asked Holland.

"We all just felt like matching better, that's all." said Anemone with a smile.

"I see." he replied with a chuckle. "Anyways, you all have your orders, so head out."

"Roger that." everyone replied. A little while later, everyone began checking in with their locations to the Gekko.

"Venturion now at home base." said Dominic.

"Roger that." Talho replied.

"606, 808 now at home base." Axel chimed in.

"Roger that." said Talho. "Any word from the Nirvash?"

"Negative. Give them time though. They do live a little ways out Talho."

"Understood." she replied. Ten minutes later, the Nirvash finally checked in.

"Nirvash now at home base." said Eureka.

"That's good. You guys hang tight there and get better. We'll visit whenever we can."

"Roger that. See you later mom."

"Bye dear." Talho replied and the radio went silent. "Ok Holland, everyone is in place."

"Good. Now we wait to see what happens next."

"This place is amazing you two." said Mischa. "You two must have put a lot of work into it."

"Yes we did." said Eureka as they unpacked their things. "That's why we love it here. It's home."

"I never would have guessed you'd own a cabin though. It's gorgeous."

"Thanks Mischa." said Renton as he flipped on the lights. "Kids, go put your stuff away."

"Ok Papa." they all replied.

"Mischa, all we have for you is the sofa right now. I'll see if I can get someone from the ship to bring a spare bed down for you."

"That's fine. Thank you Renton."

"No problem. Now go ahead and get comfortable. We'll probably be here a while."

Two weeks later there was still no movement from the rebel forces. Tensions were still high though as their forces organized about sixty miles outside of the city. As they did, the federations forces did also in order to keep things equal in power and strength. The only thing the rebel forces didn't know was that the GekkoState was with them, giving the federation the leading edge in case a battle occurred since the Gekko had the three most powerful LFO's in the world.

Eureka was now in the beginning of her eight month of her pregnancy. She and Renton were resting comfortably in their home with Mischa and the kids. Renton was now up and walking around with absolutely no problems, even though his ankle was still a bit weak at the time. Most nights and days were spent just like before. Walks in the forest, time with the children, cuddling in front of the fireplace, and just being a family.

Dominic and Anemone were now settling into a nice home life away from the GekkoState. Intelligence from the federation kept them busy as new information arrived daily from their informants. They were able to move around town freely with no problems, allowing them to visit Hilda, Matthieu, Axel, and the ship whenever needed. With Anemone now two months in with the twins, they were the happiest couple around. They even had Gulliver, Anemones pet from the Izumo back with them at their apartment.

"Hey Jurgens, any news of what the rebels are up to?" asked Holland over the radio. "Anemone and Dominic's intelligence haven't gotten anything new yet other than their size and strength."

"I haven't heard anything yet, even though I heard they're getting restless over there, so something is definitely up with them."

"Roger that. We'll keep our eyes and ears peeled. I'll have Dominic and Anemone keep working on their intelligence. Patrols are going well so far. No rebel activity to report."

"Copy that. How are those two doing anyways? They never bother to really check in anymore." Holland just chuckled and said "I'll yell at my daughter later for that. They're doing extremely well though."

"Your daughter?"

"Didn't you know?"

"Know what? All I was informed of is that you adopted Eureka."

"We adopted Anemone legally also."

"Well that was unexpected, but congratulations on that."

"Thanks. But that's not the only news I have."

"Oh really?"

"Yep. Her and Dominic are now pregnant with twins."

"What?! Man, why am I always the last to know these things?" Holland just laughed and said "Don't worry, I'll have them call you more often from now on."

"Roger that. Anyways, we had better get back to work. We're starting to chatter like a couple of old ladies at an ice cream social."

"Yeah we are." Holland chuckled. "Gekko out."

"Izumo out."

The next day, all the tension that was building finally came to a boiling point as the rebel forces began their march towards Bellforest. The Izumo, GekkoState, as well as forty eight other ships began their intercept course in order to keep them out of the city. In all they had ten thousand ground troops, one hundred and fifty KLF units, and the Gekko's four available LFO's- the 606, 808, 909, and the Venturion, giving the federation almost twenty thousand troops total.

"_Ladies and gentleman." _said Jurgens. _"This may very well be one of the deciding battles of this conflict. Currently from what our intelligence is telling us, we outnumber the enemy by about five to seven thousand men, fifty KLF's, and all out experience. But don't let that get to your head. These guys are still dangerous and very determined to win this thing. We will probably lose a lot of soldiers in this conflict, or we may not. That all depends on how your skills are at this point in time. Think of your friends and your family as you enter into this battle. Let their strength and love help you get through this war. Good luck and Godspeed. Jurgens out."_

"Holland, you scared?" asked Talho.

"I think we all are dear. Are the LFO's ready?"

"Yeah, they are."

"Good. I'm heading down there then. You take care of yourself up here."

"Just make sure you come home to me Holland. I almost lost you once. I don't want to go through that again."

"You won't, I promise. Besides, I have a son I have to help raise."

"Yeah you do." she replied. He then gave her a reassuring kiss before heading towards the hangar.

"_Unit 909, this is the Izumo, do you copy?"_

"Izumo, this is the 909, go ahead."

"_Is your crew ready for this?"_

"About as ready as we'll ever be. Our two most important people are safe and in hiding, so we're ok there."

"_Roger that. By the way, we have a little surprise for you guys."_

"And what's that?"

"_KLF units, launch now!"_ Jurgens ordered. And with that, the federations new KLF fleet took to the skies.

"What are these? They look like LFO's."

"_Our new KLF squadron. Holland, meet the Omega squadron."_

"Impressive Jurgens."

"_No doubt. There's a catch though."_

"And what's that?"

"_They're under your command. Only fitting for a former ace pilot." _Holland just smirked and said "Alright, everyone listen up. I want six rows of twenty five units behind my four units. When we reach the engagement zone, I want everyone to spread out and begin their attacks. If you can, only take out their weapons so we can leave them defenseless. I've caused enough bloodshed in my past, so I want as few casualties as possible on both sides. I know it's a weird request, but it's what I want. Everyone got that?"

"Roger that!" they all replied in one huge chorus.

"Alright then, let's go!"

For the next three weeks, the rebel forces held their ground steadily. Holland's plan of having only a few casualties unfortunately backfired and forced his hand as well as the federations. The campaign turned out to be the bloodiest battle of the war. Many men and women lost their lives during the battle, some for no reason at all other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The GekkoState crew was holding their own during this time, but exhaustion was setting in for the crew. Holland constantly offered them to pull back and rest, but their perseverance got the best of them. They all figured that if they stopped now, the rebels would take advantage of it and would try to move forward.

There was no damage done to the city during the entire time the battle was occurring. The federation forces had kept the battle about thirty miles outside of the city's limits so that no one in the city would be harmed. The local hospitals in the area were swarmed with the casualties of the war, many of which didn't make it. Nadia was busy on the Gekko also, taking in whoever she could that would heal fast enough to go back into battle on the next day. Everyone was proud of the way she handled herself during that time, especially Avriana, who during that time, became the light in Nadia's life.

By day twenty five, the battle over Bellforest had finally come to an end. The federations persistence and overall strength and firepower was finally enough to force the rebels to retreat out of the area. They had lost almost three quarters of their forces, or about ten thousand men and women, before they decided to fall back and leave. That along with the loss of almost all their KLF units, half of their Aerial battleships, and ground troops proved to be a deciding factor in their retreat.

The federation fleet unfortunately wasn't without their own losses. With about four thousand men and women lost, it wasn't what they had been hoping for. That combined with the loss of half of their omega squad , seventeen aerial battleships, and ground troops, it proved to be the biggest loss in federation history. It also proved to be their most expensive battle ever fought. Jurgens and his own crew had managed to make it through the conflict with moderate damage and a few injuries, but were ok all the same.

On day twenty six, Holland, Talho, and Jurgens went out to the scene of the battle to view the carnage that was left behind after all was said and done. What they saw was enough to make even the strongest mans stomach turn in disgust.

"Holland, its horrible. I've never seen anything like it before." said Talho as she clung onto his arm.

"Neither have I, and I've been in the military longer than you have."

"It's truly a sad sight." said Jurgens. "All these men and women had to die just because of their different beliefs. Only the fact is one side believes in killing to get their point across that coralians are monsters who need to die."

"That is a sad fact." Holland replied. "All of this over three people who just want to live a normal, happy life together with their new families. There isn't a single thing that they've done to deserve this."

"No there isn't." said Talho. "And with one expecting her first child in a month or less and another due in six months now, this isn't the kind of world they deserve to be living in."

"No, I'm afraid it isn't." Jurgens replied. "The thing is that they have no choice. No matter where they go, what they do, or where they even live right now, they're always going to be in some sort of danger, even if they don't realize it at the time. They will always need someone at their side to keep them safe until this thing is over. But only god knows when that will be right now. It all depends on how much more determination those rebels have in them."

"Plus they still have Ageha." said Holland. "I'm just amazed that they haven't played that card yet since we first encountered them."

"That is true." Jurgens replied as they continued to look over the battlefield. "It almost makes you wonder what they're planning next."

"I'd hate to guess." said Talho. "How long will it take to clean up this mess anyways?"

"It could take almost a year with all the damaged ships and KLF's that are out there. Cleanup of all the bodies is being done right away. If we're lucky, we may be able to find a few survivors out there."

"We can only hope."

"That's all we can do." said Holland as he held onto Talho tightly. "Well, we had better get back to Bellforest. There's still things we have to do."

"Like what Holland?" asked Talho.

"How does a nice home made dinner sound?"

"Sounds wonderful."

"How about you Jurgens? You know I won't take no for an answer."

"That's fine. I forgot what meal like that tastes like anyways since all we have is military food." The three just chuckled slightly as they turned around and headed towards a federation issued high speed craft.

Back on the Gekko, everyone was finally able to rest and get some much needed sleep, or at least almost everyone. Nadia was still in the medical room going over medical reports for the federation and the ship, supply records and requests, and doing one last check over of the equipment. She hadn't had any sleep in the last few days due to all the work that had piled up during the battle. This worried Avriana who immediately went to Hap for help.

"Hap, Hap!!" she yelled as she ran to the bridge.

"Hey kiddo. What's wrong?"

"It's mom. I haven't seen her get any rest lately. She's been too busy working to even pay attention to me."

"Hmm, not good. I know we've been busy lately, but she still needs to get some rest, plus take care of you. Alright, I'll take care of it right now. Thanks for telling me."

"No problem dad!" she replied happily as she left the bridge.

"Dad?" Hap said to himself after she left. He then just smiled to himself and headed towards the medical office.

"So much to do. How am I going to get all this stuff done without Mischa?" said Nadia to herself as she was rushing around trying to get organized. As she was doing this, Hap had quietly entered the doorway.

"Nadia?" he said

"WHAT?" she yelled.

"Whoa, easy there Nadia. It's only me."

"Oh, sorry Hap. I've been so busy around here I guess I'm on edge a bit."

"Well that's why I'm here."

"Say what?"

"Avriana came down to the bridge telling me how worried she is about you since you haven't been paying any attention to her nor have you gotten any sleep lately."

"Oh dear, I guess I haven't have I? I've been so caught up in work that I never really noticed."

"How long has it been since you've slept?"

"I'm not sure. Three, maybe four days max I think."

"Listen Nadia, go get some sleep. You need it. The work can wait for now."

"But Hap…"

"No buts Nadia. You need rest just like everyone else around here does. Besides, our daughter is trying to look out for you, just like I am."

"Our daughter eh? Since when did that happen?" she asked playfully.

"When she called me dad just a little bit ago."

"She did? Looks like we're a family after all."

"Yeah, I guess we are, aren't we?" Nadia then gave him a gentle kiss before she went to her room to get some sleep. "Yes we are." she replied gently before she walked away.

Meanwhile in downtown Bellforest, Holland, Talho, and Jurgens were finishing up on their dinner together at a small Italian bistro.

"So how does it feel to have a real meal finally?" asked Holland.

"Well it sure was better than any food the military serves, that's for sure." Jurgens replied. Holland just laughed and said "Yeah, I know how that goes. Anyways, what'll be our next move? I'm almost positive that the rebels will try to attack again if they know we're all leaving the area."

"We aren't, that's the thing."

"How do you figure?"

"We're keeping KLF and air patrol ships here at all times from now on. We're setting up a new base of operations here, so Bellforest will always be safe. What about you guys? What's your next plan?"

"We're sticking around also." said Talho. "We have a new grandchild coming in a month with Eureka, so we want to be around for it's arrival."

"Understandable. Do they know what they're having yet?"

"Nope. They want to keep it a surprise."

"Do they have room for the baby at their new home?"

"Come to think about it, no they don't. All they have room for is the boys and Maeter, and she won't give up having her own room. Holland, they need a nursery built."

"Yeah, you're right. But where do we get the money for that? Building supplies aren't cheap you know."

"Let the federation handle that." said Jurgens. "With all the help you guys have given us plus saving the world that one time, it'd be our honor to help."

"Thanks Jurgens. We'll still owe you one." Holland replied.

"Don't worry about it. So anyways, what's for desert?"

"Renton, kids, Mischa, dinner is ready!" said Eureka happily.

"Ok mom!" the kids replied.

"Coming dear!" yelled Renton from their room.

"Smells good as usual." said Mischa from the living room.

"I learned from the best." Eureka replied.

"And who would that be?"

"My dear husband Renton."

"Nah, it wasn't me." said Renton from behind her as he kissed her on the cheek.

"It was and you know it dear."

"I plead the fifth." Renton replied laughing as they all sat down to eat.

"I wonder how things are on the Gekko?" said Mischa as she helped serve the food.

"Things are fine." said Renton. "I just got done talking to Hap over the radio. Everyone is pretty much resting right now as we speak. He said Nadia is a little behind right now, but that's it."

"That's good to hear. What about Holland and Talho?"

"They're out having dinner with Jurgens at the moment. Sounds like they're planning their next move."

"Makes you wonder what's going to happen next?"

"That doesn't matter right now."

"Why not?"

"Because we're retiring for the time being from this war."

"When did you decide this dear?" asked Eureka.

"When Maeter was sleeping between us on the ship that one day. I can't let our family or our new child be on the ship right now. We're just to vulnerable at the moment. I want us to be somewhere safe and hidden, which is where we're at now, here at our home."

"And besides, Holland and Talho said we could stay hear at home anyways."

"Yes I know, and I'm glad we are."

"I'll stay here so I can continue to monitor things." said Mischa. "Besides, I'm enjoying this little vacation."

"I think we all are." said Renton with a slight laugh.

"_Ladies and Gentleman." _said Jurgens over a loudspeaker. _"I thank you all for your courageous efforts that you have recently put into this war. I know we have lost a lot of fellow comrades, many of which we know we will never forget. But now we have a new mission to take care of. You are all familiar with the current saviors of our world, correct?"_ All his soldiers nodded yes in reply. _"Good. This mission is a mission is a mission of love and caring. Those two saviors of this world are expecting a child of their own this month. I have told our friends on the GekkoState that we would gladly help in this situation. Our new current mission is to help them build a nursery for their new arrival. Are you with me team?"_ They then all nodded yes in reply enthusiastically. _"Excellent. I thank you all for volunteering your time and services for this wonderful cause. The only thing I ask out of you is that you keep the location of their home a secret. We get to work tomorrow, so be ready with tools and camping gear. We'll be spending a few nights under the stars. Think of it as somewhat of a vacation. Dismissed."_

"Impressed you two?" asked Jurgens when he turned to look at Holland and Talho.

"Fully." said Holland. "I never would have expected this out of you."

"No doubt." said Talho. "Thanks for everything you're doing for us and them."

"Don't mention it. Now lets get to work."


	24. A New Beginning

-1Chapter 24- A new beginning

"Nadia, it's time to get up." said Hap.

"Already?" she said groggily. "Didn't I just go to bed?"

"No. You've been out since six yesterday. It's ten in the morning now."

"I've been out for sixteen hours already?"

"You sure have, but you needed it. Here, me and Avriana made breakfast for you."

"Thanks. Where is our little girl anyways?"

"In her room studying. Maeter has somehow gotten her into that habit now."

"That's great. If Renton and Eureka can help her get up to Maurice's grade level, we'll have her in school in no time."

"Yeah, I guess we will."

"Is everyone back on the ship yet?" she asked while she ate.

"No, not yet. Renton and Eureka are still at their place with Mischa and the kids. Holland and Talho stayed at Axels place with Stephen while Anemone and Dominic stayed at their apartment."

"Does everyone on this ship live in Bellforest?"

"No, but it's starting to get that way. Everything started in this city. It's probably where it'll end too."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, this city is where Renton and Eureka first met each other, with almost disastrous results. But in the end after all was said and done, the love that they had for each other persevered through and they were able to save the world."

"The second summer of love."

"Correct. But hopefully we won't have to go through that again."

"Me either. Those two have already gone through so much in their young lives, including what I almost did to them. I've never seen a love that strong before."

"None of us did until they came along. None of us really knew what a strong family was either. It took those two plus their three kids to show us what that was also. They truly are amazing."

"Sounds like it. I want to be like that with Avriana, but I'm still afraid I'll mess something up."

"Don't worry Nadia, you're doing just fine with her. If you need help with anything, don't be afraid to ask someone. I'm not too sure what I'm doing either, but I'm giving it my best. I wouldn't expect anything less out of you."

"Thanks Hap. That really helps considering I've never raised a child before."

"Anytime Nadia. You finish eating now. I have to go to the bridge and check in with everybody. I'll see you in a bit."

"Ok Hap." she replied. After he left. Nadia thought to herself "We've only been together a month and a half now, and already I'm the mother of a wonderful little girl and have the most caring boyfriend I've ever had. Maybe my life isn't at Tresor after all. Maybe it's here with Hap and Avriana, my new family. It just has to be. My heart and feeling wouldn't say so otherwise if it wasn't. This is my home. This ship, this group of people who kindly took me in and helped me get through a rough and terrible time. This is where I belong. And I wouldn't have it any other way." She then smiled to herself, finished her breakfast, got dressed, and ran towards the bridge.

"How are things on the ship Hap?" asked Holland over the radio.

"Everything's fine. Matthieu and Hilda are sleeping, Doggie, Gidget, and everyone else except Nadia are in the dining hall having breakfast."

"Have Dominic and Anemone returned yet?"

"Negative. They're still at home."

"Roger that. They're probably afraid we won't let Gulliver on the ship."

"Who's Gulliver?"

"Anemone's pet from the Izumo. If they check in, tell her it's ok to bring him along."

"Roger that."

"By the way, why isn't Nadia up yet?"

"She is. I gave her breakfast in her room earlier. We had a nice little chat for a minute while I was there."

"You two must really care for each other."

"Does it show that bad?"

"Yeah it does." Holland chuckled. "Anyways, any word from the Thurston residence yet?"

"Negative. Something tells me they're still sleeping yet too."

"I believe it." Holland laughed. "Those guys sleep harder than the rest of us do. Anyways, me and Talho are going to spend some time downtown today shopping with Stephen. We'll be in contact later on this afternoon."

"Roger that. Have fun."

"We will. Holland out."

"Gekko out." A few moments after Hap got off the radio, Nadia came up behind him and gave him a huge hug. "Well hey you." he laughed. "What put you in such a good mood?"

"You did silly." she relied.

"And how is that."

"After you left my room, I thought about what you said and I came to realize something."

"And what's that?"

"I know it sounds silly right now, but my life isn't at Tresor anymore. It's here on this ship, with you and Avriana. You two plus everyone else on this ship are my family. I could never leave you guys. This is my home."

"Are you sure? I know how much you loved it there at Tresor."

"More than anything. I love you have, and I love the daughter we have together."

"You… love me?"

"Yes I do Hap. More than anything in this world."

"I love you too Nadia. I wasn't sure when to say that, but I guess I can now that you said it." he chuckled nervously.

"Should I start making wedding plans then?" she laughed jokingly.

"Hey now, let's not go that far yet." he laughed.

"I was only kidding Hap."

"I know."

"Listen, I'm going to go check on Avriana. I'll see you in a bit."

"You got it. I'll be up here if you need anything."

"Alright." she replied. "I love you." Nadia then left the bridge to go check on their daughter.

Meanwhile at Renton and Eureka's , Renton was up making breakfast for everyone while they were still sleeping. Eureka was the first one to wake up and greet him.

"Morning Eureka."

"Good morning." she replied as she gave him a gentle kiss. "You shouldn't be working so hard with your arm still injured dear."

"Eureka, I may still be injured, but I'm not disabled. Remember, you're the one who said I can make the impossible possible, no matter what the situation is."

"You're right, I did say that. Is breakfast ready then?"

"Yeah, it is."

"Alright, I'll go wake up the kids then."

"Ok, I'll wake up Mischa. One more thing though."

"What's that dear?" He then took her in a hug and said "I love you Eureka, more that anything else in this whole world."

"I love you too Renton." she replied gently as she returned his hug. They then gave each other a passionate kiss and a warm smile before waking up the kids and Mischa.

"Now lets not go crazy on my wallet now my dear Talho." said Holland. "I'd hate to go home broke again."

"Oh, you're no fun." she replied with a slight laugh and a giggle.

"Yes I am. You just don't need my wallet in order to have fun though."

"I know that. Don't worry though, I have some of my own money this time."

"Thank god for that." he laughed.

"Now who's being the joker?" she replied.

"Yeah, yeah. So what are we shopping for today?"

"How about things for ourselves? We haven't done that in a while and we could use some nice new things."

"Yeah we could. We spend enough on everyone else, so why not us this time?"

"You're right dear. So let's go have some fun together as a family."

"Yeah, as a family." he replied. Holland then took his wife's hand as the three went out on a special day together.

Back at Renton and Eureka's, the young family and Mischa were getting dressed and ready for another day after breakfast. As Renton and Eureka were getting dressed, Eureka had a depressed look on her face as she looked at herself in their floor mirror. Renton noticed this and went over to check on her.

"You alright dear?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. Do I look ok to you?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I don't look too big to you, do I?"

"Of course not dear." he replied. "You look as beautiful now as the day I married you."

"Are you sure? I don't feel that way."

"Listen Eureka." he replied as he gently hugged her from behind. "You are the most beautiful woman that I have ever come to love. This child we're having hasn't changed that at all. In my opinion, it only adds to your natural beauty. There is nothing I would ever change about you or the way you look."

"Really? You think so Renton?"

"Yes I do. You know what though, I can't wait for our child in arrive in our lives."

"Yes, I know. I can't believe it'll be this month already."

"Yeah, time did fly by, didn't it?"

"Yes it did. Are we ready for it though?"

"I think so. We've raised three so far, so I think we can handle another one."

"Hey, Renton?"

"Yes Eureka?"

"What should we name our baby when it arrives?"

"I'm not sure yet. We'll figure that out when it arrives, ok?"

"That's fine. Thank you Renton for making me feel better."

"I do it because I love you Eureka, you know that."

"I know. I love you too dear. Thank you for being so wonderful to me." She then turned around to face him and gave him a slow, passionate kiss as they continued to hold each other in a loving embrace.

"Dominic, Anemone!" yelled Talho.

"Mom, dad!!" Anemone yelled back as she ran up and gave Talho a giant hug. "I was beginning to forget what you looked like."

"Same here dear." said Talho as she held her daughter. "It's been a while since we've been so busy. So what are you two up to?"

"We were taking Gulliver out for a walk when you saw us. What are you, dad, and Stephen doing?"

"Out spending time together before we meet with Jurgens for a little bit."

"Why, what's going on?" asked Dominic.

"You'll find out in a little bit." Holland replied. "It's nothing to worry about though."

"That's good to hear."

"When are you guys heading back to the ship then?"

"In a little bit. We have to get Gulliver back to the Izumo."

"Speaking of that," Talho replied. "Me and Holland talked it out and decided you can have Gulliver on the ship with you."

"Really? Thanks mom!" said Anemone.

"Don't mention it." said Holland. "Just make sure you take care of him while he's on there."

"We will dad. Thanks." she replied as she gave him a hug.

"You're welcome Anemone. We'll see you guys on the ship in a little bit, ok?"

"Ok dad. Bye now!" Anemone replied happily as they walked away. As they walked on, Dominic said "You've got some wonderful parents there dear."

"Yes I do. I'm glad I have them. I wouldn't trade them in for anything. I love them dearly."

"I'm glad you do. When should we head back to the Gekko then?"

"In a little bit. I want to spend some alone time with my husband first."

"Works for me." he replied. The two then gave each other a gentle kiss as they continued to walk along.

"Momma, Papa, hurry up!" said Maeter as she knocked on their bedroom door.

"Coming!" Eureka replied. "I guess we had better go join our kids."

"I guess so." Renton chuckled. The two had still been holding on to each other while they slow danced to their favorite song on their radio. "Thanks for the dance."

"You're welcome dear. Now let's go join our kids." As the two walked out of their room, they were immediately greeted by the kids and Mischa.

"What were you guys doing in there?" asked Mischa. "All we could hear was the stereo playing."

"Me and Renton were dancing to our favorite song. I guess we had to spend a few minutes together alone, that's all." Eureka replied.

"Had to re-spark your love a bit?"

"No, our love for each other has never faltered. We just needed a little alone time, that's all." said Renton.

"I see nothing wrong with that." Mischa replied.

"So, did you want something Maeter?" Eureka asked.

"No, I just wanted to see you." Maeter replied with a smile. Eureka just smiled back and took her daughter in a gentle hug.

"So, what's the plan for today?" asked Renton.

"How about we go into town and see Axel?" Eureka replied.

"That is an idea, but we should check with Holland and Hap first to make sure it's ok."

"Good point." said Mischa. "I have to check in with Nadia anyways."

"Alright then, let's go fire up the radio and check in with everyone. We'll go from there afterwards."

"Jurgens, it's strange to see you out of uniform." said Talho.

"Can't let my good clothes get dirt you know." he replied.

"So, are we ready to go then?" asked Holland.

"Yes we are. We even brought in one of our own general contractors. Holland, Talho, meet senior contractor John Johansen."

"Wait a minute." said Talho. "We have a Johansen on our ship."

"You do?"

"Yeah. Dr. Nadia Johansen."

"Ahh, my little sister. How is she doing these days? I never hear much out of her these days."

"She's doing well. She's dating one of our technicians plus she has a daughter now."

"What?! She had a baby without telling me?!" he yelled.

"Nope, more like in the process of adopting." said Holland.

"Wow, she grew up and then made me an uncle on the side. I guess I'll finally be able to see her on this nursery project."

"Her and her daughter." Talho replied. "All we have to do now is get Renton, Eureka, Mischa, and the kids out of the house and onto the ship so we can get this thing started."

"Why is that?" asked John.

"This is a surprise, that's why."

"I see." John smiled. "Ok then, you two do that then. When we get the all clear from you, we'll move in and begin."

"John, I think we'll be getting along great from here on out." said Holland. "Alright everyone, let's begin."

"GekkoState, this is Renton, do you copy?"

"Renton, this is the Gekko, go ahead." Hap replied.

"Do we have clearance to head into town? The family wants to see Axel."

"Negative. Holland wants you guys back on the ship right away. There some sort of Tension in the air so he wants you guys here just for security reasons. Not to worry though, you should be back home in several days."

"Roger that. We'll see you soon then."

"Roger. Gekko out."

"Renton out." he replied.

"It sounds serious dear." said Eureka. "We still have plenty of things on the Gekko, so we should get going."

"Right. Lets get going then."

"Ok. Come on kids, let's go."

"Ok Momma." they all replied. Within ten minutes, they were aboard the Nirvash and on their way towards the Gekko. When they arrived, Hap was the first to greet them.

"What's going on Hap?" asked Eureka.

"Not sure, but Holland and Talho wanted you guys somewhere safe where we could keep an eye on you. Hopefully it should be nothing."

"I feel the same way." Renton replied. "Well, let's go relax a bit and say hi to everyone. We'll keep an eye on things from there."

"That's fine." said Eureka.

"Captain Jurgens, Holland has given us the all clear to move in." yelled one of his soldiers.

"Alright, everyone move out." he replied. Everyone then came out from the cover of the brush and walked towards the home of Renton and Eureka.

"Are you planning some sort of strike mission Jurgens?" Holland laughed.

"Don't like the way I handle my men?"

"I just thought it was hilarious, that's all."

"Right. Anyways, this is a nice place they have here."

"It's their home, and they love where it is. So we have to do this right." said Talho. "I want this addition to look like it's always been here."

"It'll be tough, but I think it can be done." said John. "What's the layout of this place?"

"When you walk in, you immediately have a large living room on the left. The dining room is to the right with the attached kitchen up from that. If you go up the hall, you have Renton and Eureka's master bedroom on the left, Maurice and Linck's next to theirs and Maeter's at the end of the hallway. The bathroom is located across the Hall from Maurice and Linck's room."

"I see. How large are the rooms?"

"They're fairly large sized for a cabin."

"Well, the way it looks, we'll probably have to build off the dining room." John replied. "Here's my plan." he said as he brought out a drawing pad. "Since this is a square building, we'll take the window out of the dining room and kitchen and close them in. We'll then form and fill in a new foundation for the addition. After that has settled and dried, we'll start putting up framing and walls and put in a door to the nursery in the corner of the home. And just so it doesn't look like an addition, we're putting on a garage workshop for Renton to tinker around in with an entrance through the end of the kitchen. They'll lose a little storage space, but I think it'll be worth it. What do you think?"

"John, it's awesome!!" said Talho.

"I'm glad you like it. Alright men, let's get to work."

Back on the Gekko, Renton and Eureka were settled back in and were heading towards the dining hall for a snack. When they walked in, they were immediately greeted by Nadia.

"Hey guys!" she said while she hugged them. "You two look well. You're looking amazing Eureka."

"Well Hello to you too." Renton laughed. "You're obviously in a good mood."

"I'm a woman in love, what can I say." she giggled. "Me and Hap said 'I love you to' each other today."

"I'm so happy for you Nadia." said Eureka. "I guess you two will be getting married now."

"Not yet Eureka." Nadia laughed. "We've only been together for a couple of months now. We'll give it time first to see how things go. I am thinking about asking Hap if we could adopt Avriana like Talho did with you."

"That's wonderful Nadia." said Renton. "We wish you the best."

"Thanks Renton. I had better go find her though and find out what she's up to."

"I can already tell you where she's at."

"Oh really? Where is she?"

"With Maurice." Renton and Eureka said together.

"So how is it living away from the ship Maurice?" asked Avriana.

"It's awesome! We get to play outside, take walks in the woods, have awesome dinners, play games in front of our fireplace, and just spend time together as a family."

"Sounds nice. I wish we had a home like that. All we have is the ship."

"You should be grateful for what you've got." said Nadia.

"Oh, hi mom!"

"Renton and Eureka said I'd find you here. So what are you two up to?"

"Maurice was telling me about his house. Why don't we have one like that mom?"

"Well, maybe we will someday, but you should be happy you have a home here. I know I am. I met your father here, so it's precious to me."

"She has a father?" asked Maurice.

"Yeah, she does. She calls Hap her dad."

"Cool!!" he replied.

"That reminds me, Avriana, how would you like to be adopted?"

"Me, adopted?" she replied.

"Yes. Me and you would go into town and I would become your legal mother. What do you say?"

"What about Hap?"

"Well, since we're not married, he wouldn't be your legal father, but he'd still be your guardian. If things work out and we do decide to get married, then we'll have him become your legal father. How does that sound?"

"Awesome mom! Thank you!"

"You're welcome dear." Nadia replied as she hugged her. "Hilda will be taking us down either tomorrow or the next day when I get an appointment set up."

"Sounds great mom."

"Good. I'm going to go let your dad know. By the way, I'm going to start having Renton and Eureka help you with your studies. I want to be able to get you into school soon."

"School?"

"You'll like it Avriana!!" said Maurice. "You'll get to learn and do all sorts of cool things."

"Really?"

"Yep. I'll have to tell you about it later though. Me and Linck have to go clean our room before mom and dad see it." All you could hear in the hallway after he said that was Renton yelling "Maurice!"

"Oops, too late. See ya!" he said as he ran out of the lounge.

"Good kid there." said Nadia. "By the way, is your room clean Avriana?"

"Ah, got to go!" Avriana replied laughing as she got up and ran out of the room.

"Get back here you stinker!" Nadia laughed as she ran after her.

Back at Renton and Eureka's, the work crew was finally getting ready to camp out for the night.

"Great job everyone!" said John. "We got the foundations for the room and garage done along with some of the framing. We'll continue early tomorrow, so get some rest."

"Good job John." said Holland. "It's going great so far. It'll be nice when it's done."

"It'll be my best work yet. This is my first house build. Usually I'm working on military bases."

"I believe it, but we have to hurry. That baby could come at any time."

"I know, but don't worry. I have it handled here. Are you two spending the night with us?"

"No, we can't with Stephen. We're heading back to the ship tonight using a landable high speed craft." Talho replied.

"Can I go with? I want to see how my little sister is doing."

"Sure. Let's get going."

A little bit later, the group of four were aboard the Gekko. Hilda was the first one they ran into when they entered the hallway from the hangar.

"Hey Hilda, do you know where Nadia is? Her brother here wants so see her." said Talho.

"I haven't seen her, actually, correct that. The last time I saw her she was chasing after Avriana while she was laughing and giggling."

"Typical Nadia." said John with a smile. "She's always been great with kids for some reason."

"Go check in Avriana's room then. That's probably where they ended up at."

"Ok, thanks Hilda." Talho replied.

"No problem Talho. See you later!"

"Alright, your room is clean. Now let's keep it that way." said Nadia.

"Ok mom."

"It's getting late now, so get ready for bed and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright mom."

"What, no hello?" said a male voice from in behind Nadia.

"John?"

"Hey little sis."

"JOHN!" yelled Nadia as she hugged him. "It's been a while."

"Yes it has. How've you been?"

"Busy really. How has the military life been treating you?"

"Great. I'm working with Jurgens now since I just got transferred. I found out earlier today from Holland and Talho that you were aboard this ship. How long have you been here?"

"Probably about two and a half months now. I really love it here though."

"That's what I hear. What's this I also hear that you're a mother now?"

"Oh, yeah, I am. Hey Avriana, come here dear."

"Ok mom!" she replied happily.

"Avriana, this is my brother John. He's going to be your uncle."

"Uncle?"

"An Uncle is a family member, so he'll be part a part of our family also."

"Oh, Ok!! Hi Uncle John!" she said Happily.

"Hey Kiddo. Nice to meet you. How old is she sis?"

"Nine, going on ten."

"I'm guessing she's a coralian. It's easy to tell with those eyes of hers."

"Yes she is. This ship is home to the only three known coralians on this planet."

"Three? I thought there was only two?"

"There was one other one who was genetically made that isn't that well known that lives here."

"Wow, that's amazing. I hear you have a boyfriend also."

"Yes I do, but I'll tell you about him in a bit. Let me get my daughter to bed first. Come on Avriana."

"Ok mom." she replied happily.

"She's so grown up." said John as he watched Nadia tuck Avriana into bed. "What happened to my bratty little sister?" he chuckled.

"She's turned into a wonderful mother and a great crew member." said Talho. "We're really proud of who she is."

"Sounds like it."

"Alright, all set." said Nadia as she walked out of Avriana's room. "Now come on bro, let's go catch up."

"So, where is this boyfriend of yours?" asked John a little bit later.

"Probably on the bridge at the moment going over final security checks for the ship. He'll be here shortly."

"So John," said Talho. "What kind of stories do you have on your sister?"

"Oh, geez, where do I start?"

"Don't you dare John." Nadia laughed. "Remember, I still have that one photo of you."

"You still have that?! I was hoping you had lost it by now."

"Nope, I wouldn't give you the pleasure of that."

"Great." he replied. As they all sat their laughing, Hap walked into the lounge.

"Hi dear." said Nadia.

"Hi. Who's our guest?"

"Hap, meet my brother John Johansen. He's a contractor for the federation army."

"Nice meeting you Hap." said John. "It's a pleasure."

"Same here."

"So he's the one you're taming, eh sis?" said John jokingly.

"Nope, he's perfect the way he is."

"Well, I wouldn't say perfect." Hap chuckled.

"So how do all of you guys know each other?" John asked.

"We were all in the military together." Hap replied. "Me and Holland have known each other since we were three."

"Wow, that's a long time. Is that how you met Holland, Talho?"

"Yes it is, and I'm glad everyday that I did. He's been a wonderful husband and a great father."

"I see. I've noticed a trend so far that almost everyone here has a family of some sort. Why is that?"

"That's who we are." Holland replied. "We're one family unit who fights for the good of our planet. It's one of our greatest strengths."

"That's amazing. Anyways, there is a lot of work that we have to do in the morning and I need to get some sleep. Is there somewhere that I can crash for the night?"

"You can come crash on my sofa if you'd like." said Hap.

"Awesome. Thanks Hap."

"Don't mention it. Now let's hit the hay everyone."

The next morning, everyone was hard at work once again at Renton and Eureka's. The new foundation was now fully cured and the new framing was quickly going up.

"Hey Holland, how do you feel about a little demo?" asked John.

"Why do you ask?"

"We get to put a hole in the wall for the new doorway to the nursery. Grab a sledgehammer and a saw. We're going to have a little fun."

"Cool. Hey Jurgens, do you want to take a couple of swings?"

"Sure, why not. You can easily vent some frustrations that way."

"Sure can." said John. "That's why I love demolition."

"I bet."

"We have to be careful though. We have to watch out for electrical and water lines. But since we're working in a corner, we shouldn't have a problem. Jurgens, once we get the doorway framed out, have three of your guys bring that door over here so we can keep the elements outside."

"Right, I'm on it."

"Ok men, let's have some fun."

"Hey sis!!" yelled Anemone.

"Hi Anemone!" Eureka replied.

"How are you doing? It's been a while."

"I'm doing fine thanks. Who's your little pet?"

"Oh, this is Gulliver. He was my pet on the Izumo."

"He's cute."

"Thanks. Mom and dad said we could keep him here on the ship."

"They did? That was nice of them."

"Yeah it was. So, are you two ready for the baby to come?"

"Yeah, we are. We're getting more nervous and excited everyday."

"I'm getting anxious too. I can't wait to see it."

"Me either. That reminds me, I'm due for a checkup. Want to come along?"

"Sure!" Anemone replied.

"Hey Holland, how level are we?" asked John.

"A little up on my left. A little more, and perfect. Ok, nail it in!"

"Awesome, we have a door!" said John after he secured it in. "Jurgens sir, I'll let you finish it off by installing the doorknob and indoor trim. Can you handle that?"

"I think so."

"Good. Looks like the crew has all the wall framing up. Holland, hop up top and help with the roof. I'll stay below and help secure all the walls together."

"Right, I'm on it." Holland replied.

"Not before you all eat." said a female voice.

"Well hey sis, what brings you here?" asked John.

"Me and Talho thought all of you would like a nice home made lunch."

"Sounds great. Hey everyone, lunch time!"

"Alright! Real food!" everyone yelled.

"Wow, talk about enthusiasm." Talho laughed.

"So, what did you two lovely ladies bring us?" asked John.

"Hey bro, don't try sucking up now." Nadia laughed. "Anyways, we have fried chicken, chips, potato salad, soda, and chocolate cake for desert for everyone."

"Awesome, thanks you two. So where is my niece at?"

"Still on the ship. I have Hilda watching over her right now."

"That's nice. So when do you plan on adopting her?"

"I called yesterday and I have an appointment tomorrow."

"That's great sis. I'm proud of you for doing that for her."

"Thanks John. I'm glad I was able to do it for her."

"So, how did all of this come about anyways? You never explained it to me."

"Well, after we rescued her from a rebel military base, she kind of wandered around the ship with no one really looking after her since we all just took turns helping her. When she did, she learned how we worked and what a family was since she had no understanding of it. One day while we were landed getting supplies for the ship, Holland had me and Hap take Avriana out to get some things for her. When we did, we used adoption help keep ourselves covered. When we explained to Avriana what it was later on after she asked about it, she got upset because she had no one who would love or take care of her so to speak. So being who I am now, I took her in and just basically fell in love with her. It was the best decision I've ever made. Now she's just like any other nine year old."

"That's awesome sis. You've really surprised me at how much you've grown up. Plus now having the responsibility of raising a child is something else. You're really amazing, you know that?"

"You think so?"

"We all do." said Talho. "You've come a long way plus taken on a lot of responsibility in a very short amount of time. You can't be much more amazing than that."

"No, I guess not. Thanks everyone."

"Don't mention it sis. Now, how about we get back to work and perform an amazing miracle of our own?"

"Sounds great to me. What do you say crew?" said Holland enthusiastically.

"YEAH!!" they all replied.

"Ok, let's get back to work!"

"Eureka, everything looks great." said Mischa. "If things continue to go this way, you could have this child at any time with absolutely no problems whatsoever."

"Really? That's wonderful sis!!" said Anemone.

"Yes it is! I can't wait to tell Renton."

"I bet. He'll be really excited then."

"Yes I know. I can't wait to tell mom and dad either."

"Speaking of them, where are they? I haven't seen them at all today."

"They're out with Jurgens again from what I know." Mischa replied. "Don't ask me what's going on though, because I have no idea."

"That's fine. Thanks Mischa. Come on Eureka, let's go find your husband and tell him the good news!" When the girls walked out of the office, they immediately ran into Maeter and Linck.

"What were you doing with Mischa Momma? Is everything ok?" asked Maeter.

"Everything is great dear. Mischa said the baby could come at any time now."

"Yay!! I want a little sister!"

"No way! Brothers are better?" said Linck.

"Uh-uh, sisters are!"

"Brothers!"

"Sisters!"

"That's enough kids." said Anemone. "You'll love whatever you get."

"I still want a sister." Maeter replied.

"And me a brother." said Linck.

"Typical kids." said Hilda laughing from in behind them. "Always wanting something."

"Of course." Anemone replied. "Hey Avriana, where's your mom?"

"Out with Talho. I don't know why though."

"I see."

"Her mom put me in charge of her." said Hilda. "She said she'd be back in a little bit."

"That's nice. We're on our way to tell Renton some good news." said Eureka.

"What news is that?"

"Mischa said the baby was doing so well that it could arrive at any time."

"Well, it's still a little early yet, but that's wonderful. I'll let you go tell Renton then. I'm going to go make lunch for me and Avriana. See you guys later!"

"Bye Hilda!" said Anemone. "Come on everybody, let's go."

"Hey Renton, how's the arm?" asked Matthieu.

"It's great. The cast is off and now I only have to wear an arm brace the rest of the time."

"Cool. It's good to see you on your feet again too."

"Yeah, no doubt."

"How's Eureka doing?"

"She's doing great. The baby should possible be here at any time."

"That's awesome. I wish you two the best."

"Thanks Matthieu." he replied.

"RENTON!" yelled Eureka.

"In the dining room!" he replied.

"I just got done seeing Mischa dear. She said everything looks great."

"That's wonderful love. Did she say anything else?"

"Yes she did. She said it's going so well that the baby could come at any time with no complications."

"That's great to hear dear. I guess we'll have to start getting ready soon."

"Yes we will." she replied.

Later on in the day, the crew that was working on Renton and Eureka's home had made amazing progress. All the walls had been framed and boarded up, the roof up and sealed and windows installed.

"Great job crew." said Jurgens. "Get some rest now. We're back to work tomorrow."

"Looks awesome John for only three days work." said Talho.

"I'm glad you like it. If we can work like that tomorrow, we'll be well ahead of schedule. If we can, I want to get the entire roof shingled, outside insulation up and hopefully the log siding started. After that it's ducting for the heat, electrical, inside insulation, drywall, mudding, sanding, painting, carpet, and trim. It's up to you guys after that."

"Sounds like a plan to me." said Holland. "When do you think we'll be done?"

"With this crew, I would guess about a week."

"That works well for the baby's arrival." Talho replied. "It's perfect timing."

"I'm glad it is. I'm going to go join the rest of my crew members now. See you tomorrow."

"Goodnight John." said Talho as they walked away. "You have a good brother there Nadia."

"Yeah I do. He's always been a hard worker."

"Looks like it. By the way you two, I have one more surprise in line for Renton and Eureka."

"And what's that dear?" asked Holland.

"Diane and Adrock are in town hiding out at Axels. They wanted to be around for the baby too."

"Good job dear." he replied. "Now let's go home. I'm tired."

For the next eleven days, the crew working on the home took their time and went the extra mile on the Thurston residence. They not only did the regular work on the home, but they also added landscaping by laying grass, planting new flowers, and adding a new play set outside for the kids to play on. Jurgens crew the carefully helped Talho and Holland move the baby furniture out of the Gekko and then nicely arranged it into the nursery. When all was said and done, it was just like they had all hoped for. A new addition that looked like it was always there to begin with, only with a new yard, garden, and play set.

"It looks wonderful Holland." said Talho with happy tears in her eyes. "John, thank you so much for everything that you've done."

"You're both very welcome. I'm glad I was able to help."

"You too Jurgens." said Holland. "We owe you big time for all that you've done for us."

"Don't worry about it, even though I'm sure I'll probably get chewed out for the bill." he replied. They all laughed hysterically at his last comment.

"So when are you bringing them home?" asked John.

"Tomorrow." Talho replied. "We just have to do a little more cleaning first."

"Sounds good. We have to get packed up here though. I have to get to work on our new base here in Bellforest. Nice working with you two."

"You too John." said Holland as he shook his hand. "Good luck to you."

"Thanks. Pack up everyone! We're heading out!"

"Come on dear." said Talho. "Let's go finish up."

The next morning, Renton and Eureka woke up to an ominously quiet ship. As they walked around trying to find someone, they finally found Hilda near the hangar.

"Good morning you two." said Hilda. "I was beginning to wonder when you were going to get up."

"Hey Hilda, where is everybody?" asked Eureka.

"You'll find out in a little bit. I have breakfast ready for us in the dining hall. When we're done, go get dressed and meet me in the hangar. We have a surprise for you two." A little bit later after breakfast, Renton and Eureka met Hilda in the hangar as planned.

"Ready to go you two?" asked Hilda.

"Where are we going?" asked Renton.

"You'll find out soon enough. Now let's get into the 606 and get going." Several minutes later as the three were flying along, Hilda piped up and said "Here, put these blindfolds on. You can't see where we're going until we get there."

"Oh, ok." Renton replied. "Don't worry dear, this is a good thing, so it must be something big, so let's trust them."

"Ok." she replied as she put on her blindfold. Fifteen minutes later, Hilda, Renton, and Eureka were landed and ready to go. Holland and Talho then helped the young couple out quietly so they wouldn't be heard. After walking a little ways, Hilda said "Ok you two, are you ready for this?"

"Yeah, I am." said Renton.

"How about you Eureka?"

"I'm ready Hilda." she replied. Hilda then looked at everyone else who nodded their heads. "Ok you two, on the count of three, remove your blindfolds, ok?"

"Ok." they replied.

"Alright. One, two, three, NOW!" and Renton and Eureka removed their blindfolds.

"SURPRISE!!" everyone yelled.

"What is this? It's gorgeous!" said Renton.

"Renton, Eureka, welcome home." said Talho.

"Did all of you do this?" asked Eureka as she looked around at their new home, yard, and garden.

"With help from the federation, yes." said Holland.

"Hi Momma and Papa!" said Maeter from the top of their new play set.

"Hi kids." they both replied with a huge smile. "It looks wonderful Renton. Now the kids have somewhere to play."

"Yeah they do." he replied. "What did you guys do to our house? It looks bigger now."

"That's because it is." Adrock replied.

"Dad, sis!!"

"Welcome home Renton." said Diane as she hugged him. "You too Eureka."

"Thank you Diane."

"So, do you two want to go inside and see what we did?" asked Talho.

"Sure! Let's go dear." said Renton.

"Ok." Eureka replied happily. As the two walked into their home, Renton and Eureka noticed a new door to the right off of their dining room.

"Hey, mom, where does that door go to?" asked Eureka.

"Well, go find out." Talho replied. As the two opened the door and walked in, their eyes lit up with happiness as they looked at what they saw. Almost immediately, Eureka started crying in happiness as she looked at their new nursery. In the far left front corner stood their new crib with the changing table in the back corner next to it. In the front right corner facing towards the center of the room sat the chair and ottoman with a softly lit floor lamp to it's left. On the far right wall sat the dresser and mirror with a nice area rug to compliment the set.

"Renton, it's beautiful." said Eureka happily.

"Yes it is dear. I never would have imagined anything like this. It's amazing."

"I guess you two like it then?" asked Talho.

"We love it mom! Thank you!" Eureka cried.

"You're welcome dear." she replied while they hugged each other.

"Renton, we have a surprise for you too." said Holland. "Follow me." He then took Renton to another new door at the end of their kitchen.

"What's this?"

"Walk in and find out." he replied. Renton then opened the door and took an immediate right into his new garage workshop.

"Awesome!!" Renton yelled. "I finally have someplace to work!"

"That was the plan." Holland replied. "We know how much you like tinkering with things, so we thought you could use a little workspace of your own."

"Thanks you guys. We owe you big time for all that you've done for us."

"You can make up for it later." Holland laughed. "All we ask is that you enjoy it."

"We will. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now let's go enjoy your new home."

Later on in the day as everyone sat and chatted amongst themselves, they admired the area and the home Renton and Eureka owned. As Eureka was standing in the kitchen with Diane and Talho making dinner, a sudden pain hit her that made her clutch her stomach.

"Eureka, are you ok?" asked Diane.

"Yeah, I think so. These pains have been on and off all day today. That was the worst they've been."

"On and off all day? How far along in time have these pains been?"

"They were about every hour, now it's almost every half hour."

"Eureka, I think you're having contractions. What do you think Talho?"

"I think you're right Diane. Mischa, do you still have all your equipment with you?"

"Yes I do. I stored everything in the hallway closet while I was here in case something happened. Why?"

"Because I think we have a baby on the way. Come on Eureka, let's get you to your room and get you checked out. Hilda, can you and Renton finish dinner for everyone? We'll let you know in a few minutes what's going on."

"Sure." Hilda replied. Fifteen minutes later after much rushing around and hooking up of equipment, Nadia walked out of the room calmly.

"Well?" said Renton. "What's going on?"

"It's contractions." Nadia replied. "She's about three to four centimeters dilated. If all goes well, you'll be a new father within the next twelve to twenty four hours."

"Awesome! Can I see her?"

"Go ahead. She's been asking for you anyways."

"Thanks Nadia." he replied as he walked into their room.

"You too Anemone. She's requesting you also."

"Ok. See you in a bit Dominic."

"Ok dear." he replied.

"Aren't you going back in Nadia?" asked Holland.

"I'll let them work. I'll go in if they need me."

"Ok, if you say so." A few minutes later, Mischa came out and said "Nadia, what are you doing? Get in here!"

"Ok, I guess I am wanted. Later everyone!"

"Good luck. Take care of her in there." said Hap.

"We will, I promise." she replied. She then gave him a gentle kiss before she went into the room.

"Eureka, how are you doing?" asked Renton.

"I'm fine dear. Our child is finally coming! Oh Renton, I'm so happy."

"So am I." he replied as he gently kissed her forehead.

"Thank you too for being here with me Anemone."

"Hey, you asked me to be here, and I said I would be. I never break a promise like that." she replied.

"I really do have the best sister in the world."

"Yes you do." she replied as Eureka hugged her.

"Ok, we've got another contraction coming." said Talho. "Now breathe Eureka, just like I showed you." For the next thirty seconds, Eureka did her breathing reps like Talho had showed her. "Ok, and relax. Good job dear."

"Thanks mom."

"Renton, can you get us some ice, cold water, and some washcloths and bring them down here?"

"Sure. Be right back dear. Come on sis, you're helping too."

"Ok Renton." she replied with a warm smile. As the two entered the living room, Holland asked "Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, Mischa just needs a few things to keep Eureka cool. Can I ask you to help finish dinner now?"

"Yeah, I'm on it."

"Hap, can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure Renton. What do you need?"

"Can you take care of the kids? I know you don't have that much experience with them, but I'm putting them in your hands for the night."

"I've got them, don't worry. If I need help, I'll ask Hilda."

"Thanks Hap." he replied. "Hey, Gidget, can you help keep the ice trays full? It would be appreciated."

"Sure!" she replied.

"Ok, we've got ice, cold water, and the washcloths are in the hallway closet. I've got the ice. Sis, can you run the water in while I get the washcloths?"

"Yeah, I'll take care of it." she replied as she carried the water in.

"Ok, washcloths, where are they? Ah, here we go." he said as he grabbed them out of the hallway closet. "Oh, and Gidget, one more thing."

"Yes Renton?"

"Can you make sure the kids are fed? I know Hap is in charge of them, but I don't want to put all the work on him."

"Ok! I'll take care of it, don't worry."

"Thanks guys. You know what, I do have the best family in the world." He then gave them all a warm smile before he walked back into their room and closed the door. Everyone then looked at each other and knew he was right. They were a family. They decided right there and then that night that they would never be separated from each other, no matter what happened to them.

Thirteen hours later, Renton and Eureka's baby had still not arrived, but the time was extremely close. Eureka had been in labor for approximately fifteen hours according to Mischa, but she was holding up well. Everyone one else was as well. Hap and Gidget were still watching the kids while everyone else sat and waited anxiously for the baby to arrive.

"Almost there dear." said Renton. "Just a little bit longer."

"I'm so tired though." she replied. "I don't know if I can go any further."

"I know, we all are. But just hang in there ok?"

"You're doing extremely well Eureka. Just be strong ok?" said Talho.

"I will mom."

"Good girl. Mischa, how are we looking?"

"We're doing well." she replied. "She's at nine centimeters now. One more and we'll be ready to push."

"You hear that sis? You're almost there." said Anemone.

"I know. Don't worry, I'm ready."

"That's good sis. You're doing good. Keep it up."

"Ok, another contraction." said Talho. "Breathe dear." And once again like Eureka had done before, she did almost effortlessly. "And, relax. Good job."

"Nadia, you're in charge of the delivery. I'll coach you if you need it." said Mischa.

"No, I've got it. I've helped deliver one or two before." she replied.

"Good. We're counting on you."

"Gotcha." she replied.

"Hey Talho, can we talk for a second?" asked Diane quietly.

"Sure. What's up?"

"I just wanted to make sure their wasn't too much tension between us because of Holland. I don't want to put a strain on your marriage with him."

"Listen Diane, we're related by marriage now, so you are technically my daughter in law, which at the moment seems wrong since I'm so young, but that won't change anything. I got past that a long time ago when I found out I was pregnant with Stephen. You are now and will always be a friend to me and Holland, even if he hates to admit it. So don't worry about anything. Let's focus on Eureka and Renton now ok? We both have a family that needs us with them."

"Ok. Thanks Talho."

"Don't mention it."

"Alright, let's do one more check to see if we're ready to push, ok Eureka?" said Nadia.

"Ok." Eureka replied. A few moments later, Nadia said "Ok, we're at ten. We can begin pushing on the next contraction, ok?"

"Ok, you ready dear?" asked Renton.

"Yes I am. I can't believe it's finally time."

"Yes it is." said Anemone. "Me and Diane will be right here by your side."

"And so will me and Renton." said Talho. "Mischa and Nadia have it from there. Ok, here comes another contraction. Now we'll be pushing in ten second intervals. Ready, and PUSH!!

"Come on dear, you can do it!" said Renton.

"Five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten. And relax. Excellent work dear."

"Good job sis." Anemone replied.

"Excellent hon." said Renton.

"Thanks dear. Water please."

"Here you go." he replied as she took a drink out of the straw.

"Thank you."

"Sure dear."

"Ok, here comes another contraction, ok Eureka, get ready and push! One, two, three, four, five six, seven, eight, nine, and ten, and relax."

"Good job Eureka." said Nadia.

"Thank you Nadia." Eureka replied. "More water please."

"Here you go sis." said Anemone.

"Thank you." she replied as she took a drink.

"You're doing well Eureka. Keep it up." said Diane.

"Thank you Diane." Eureka replied.

"Here comes another one." said Nadia. "Ok Eureka, get ready, and push! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten. And relax. Good job, the head is starting to crest!"

"Two to three more pushes and we'll have a baby!" said Mischa.

"So tired." said Eureka.

"You're doing great dear." said Renton. "By the way, I love you."

"I love you too Renton." Eureka replied with tired smile.

"Here comes another one." said Mischa. "Get ready, and PUSH!"

"Come on sis!" said Anemone.

"Almost there!" yelled Talho.

"A little bit more!" said Renton.

"The head is out!" said Nadia."

"Seven, eight, nine and ten, and relax. Excellent Eureka, the baby's head is out!" said Mischa happily.

"One more push and we should have a baby!" said Nadia.

"You hear that dear? One more and our child will be here." said Renton excitedly.

"I'm so tired, I'm not sure I can do it." Eureka replied.

"Yes you can sis." said Anemone.

"You can make it dear, come on now." Talho replied.

"Come on dear, one more for us, ok? Remember, we're the ones who make the impossible possible."

"Ok Renton, one more for us." she replied as they kissed each other.

"Ok Eureka, last one." said Nadia. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, I am."

"Ok. Now, get ready, and PUSH!!"

"Come on, last one Eureka!" said Diane.

"Almost there dear!" said Renton.

"Come on Eureka!" yelled Anemone.

"A little bit more!" said Talho.

"IT'S OUT!" yelled Mischa happily.

"What is it?" asked Renton.

"One second!" Nadia replied. A few seconds later as Nadia cleaned it and cleared out its nostrils, the cries of a baby filled the room. "It's a girl! Congratulations you two!!"

"It's a girl dear!" said Renton happily.

"I know. Oh Renton, I love you so much."

"I love you too Eureka."

"Would father like to cut the cord?" asked Mischa.

"Sure." he replied.

"Ok, cut here above the clip, and you're done. Ok, wrap her up in this blanket, and we're all set. Here you are you two, your new daughter."

"Look dear, she looks like you. Hair and all."

"She's beautiful Renton." she replied as he gently laid her in Eureka's arms.

"She's so precious." said Anemone calmly and with an excited tone. "I'll go let everyone know. I'll be right back."

"Ok Anemone." Eureka replied as she left.

"Hey everyone." said Anemone.

"Is everything ok? I thought we heard a baby crying in there." said Hilda.

"You did."

"It's here?! What is it?" asked Holland.

"Everyone, IT'S A GIRL!!"

"Yay!! I have a sister!!" Maeter yelled.

"Is Eureka ok?" asked Gidget.

"Mother and father are doing great. You'll be able to see them in a little bit when everything is cleaned up. Dad, you can come in and see your granddaughter now."

"Ok, be back in a few minutes everyone." said Holland. When he and Anemone walked in, Eureka had their new baby in her arms while Renton sat besides her on their bed. Talho, Mischa, Nadia, and Diane stood on the right side of the bed. "Hey Eureka, how are you doing?"

"We're wonderful dad. Want to see her?"

"Sure." he replied gently as he sat next to them. "Wow, she sure looks like her mother, hair and all."

"That's what her father said."

"Can I hold her?"

"Sure, just be careful with her."

"Don't worry, I will. I had your brother you know."

"Let her be Holland." said Talho. "It's just her motherly instincts kicking in."

"I know. Man, this sure reminds me of something." he replied as he held the baby.

"Yeah, the day Stephen was born."

"You're right. She is a precious little thing. Do you have a name picked out yet?"

"Not yet." Eureka replied. "I haven't thought of anything."

"I kind of have an idea." said Renton.

"What is it dear?"

"How does Felicity Rose Thurston sound?"

"That's pretty. I like it." said Anemone.

"So do I." Talho replied. "It's a very solid name."

"I agree with them." said Nadia.

"Me too." said Mischa.

"It's a beautiful name Renton." said Diane.

"I like it too. Felicity Rose Thurston it is." Eureka replied smiling.

"Alright, everyone out." said Mischa. "Lets let these three rest now. You can see them tomorrow when Eureka is up and about."

"Ok Mischa." said Talho. "See you tomorrow you guys."

"Ok mom. Bye everyone!"

"Bye!" they all replied.

The next morning, Renton and Eureka walked out of their room for the first time as new parents with Felicity in Eureka's arms. When they got into their living room, they sat down in the middle of their sofa while everyone gently surrounded them.

"She's beautiful." said Gidget.

"She's so cute." said Hilda.

"She looks like mom." said Maeter.

"Yeah she does." Hap replied. "She does have Renton's nose though." he chuckled.

"Thanks Hap." Renton laughed.

"What's her name?" asked Hilda.

"Nobody who was in the room said anything?" asked Renton.

"No they didn't Renton."

"Her name is Felicity Rose Thurston."

"What a beautiful name son." said Adrock.

"Thanks dad." he replied.

"So what's next for you two?" asked Hap.

"I'm not sure." Eureka replied. "All I know is that this is a whole new beginning for us."

"Eureka dear, this is a whole new beginning for all of us who are members of the Gekkostate." Holland replied.


	25. Change of life

-1Chapter 25- change of life

"Morning beautiful." said Renton as he and Eureka slowly woke up.

"Morning dear." she replied with a warm smile and a gentle kiss.

"Did you sleep ok?"

"For the most part. Seems your daughter has quite the appetite."

"She does eh? I guess she gets that from me. The baby monitor seems to be quiet, but I'll go check on her anyways. You can sleep some more if you want."

"I think I'll do that. Thank you dear."

"Sure hon. Get some rest now. I'll see you in a little bit." he then gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek and headed towards the nursery. When he got near the dining room, all the kids were at the dining room table eating breakfast.

"Morning Papa!" they all said cheerfully.

"Hey kids." Renton replied with a smile.

"Where's Momma?" asked Linck.

"She's still sleeping. She'll be up a little later on."

"Why is she still sleeping Papa?"

"Seems like your new sister kept your mom up part of the night, so she's catching up on her rest."

"Oh, ok Papa."

"Are you going to go check on Felicity?" asked Maeter.

"Yes I am Maeter."

"Can I help?"

"Sure Maeter. Are you done with your breakfast yet?"

"No, not yet."

"I'll tell you what. You finish your breakfast and I'll wait for you, ok?"

"Ok Papa!" she replied happily.

"Hey, Maurice."

"Yes dad?"

"Are you into ref boarding at all?"

"A little bit, why?"

"Well, how about after your mother is up we go into my shop and I'll show you how to make a ref board of your own? I know we don't get to do much together, so I'd like to. What do you say?"

"Sure! That'd be awesome!"

"Great! We'll get started later on today."

"Papa, I'm done eating now!" said Maeter.

"Ok. Go rinse out your bowl and then we'll check on your sister."

"Ok!!" she replied as she went to the sink and rinsed out her bowl. After she was done, the two then walked into the nursery where Felicity was laying in her crib awake.

"Well hey there you." Renton smiled. "What is this I hear that you kept your mother up?" Felicity just looked at him and smiled as he picked her up out of her crib. "Pew, and what is your mother feeding you? I guess it's time to change you."

"I'm helping!!" said Maeter. "I already have the diapers and wipes ready!!"

"Good thing, because I think we're going to need them." said Renton with a nervous smile.

"Holland, let's go! We have to check on the ship before we head to Renton and Eureka's!!" yelled Talho.

"I'm going as fast as I can!! Let me take a shower first!!"

"Ok, that's fine!" she yelled from downstairs. "So Axel, how does it feel to be a great grandfather again?"

"Pretty good. How does it feel having four grandchildren already in your young lives?"

"It actually feels wonderful, even though we do have two others on the way."

"Must be pretty weird considering your age."

"A little, but not as weird as having Diane as my daughter in law by marriage."

"Tell me about it." Diane laughed from in behind her. "You only have me by a few years, so think how I feel."

"I'd hate to guess." Talho replied with a smile. "But you don't have to think of me like that if you don't want to. Just friends is fine."

"Thanks Talho, I think I'll do that. It keeps a lot of pressure off knowing that."

"Don't worry about it. So, how do you feel about being an aunt of four kids already?"

"I'm still trying to get used to it, but I think it'll be ok. Felicity was a cute little thing though."

"Yeah, she is. I hope Renton and Eureka are doing ok with her."

"There's one way to find out." Axel replied. "Let's fire up the radio and see what they're up to."

"Alright, she's all cleaned up and dressed. Let's go into the living room and feed her Maeter."

"Ok Papa!" she replied. As the two were walking out of the nursery, Renton heard Talho calling them on the radio in the living room.

"Hey Talho, it's Renton. What's up?"

"_I was just checking in on you guys to see how things were going up there."_

"Everything is going great. The kids just got done eating breakfast, Eureka is still sleeping, and we just got done changing Felicity."

"_How is Felicity doing?"_

"Really well, even though she left me a nice little present in her diaper this morning." All you could hear afterwards was hysterical laughing on the other end of the radio. Talho then finally said _"So you got the pleasure of the first nasty diaper eh?"_

"You could say that."

"_Why is Eureka sleeping? Is she ok?"_

"Yeah, she's fine. Felicity kept her up part of the night, so I told her she could sleep longer if she wanted to."

"_That's good to hear. Me and Holland will be there later today to visit if that's ok. We're going to the ship first so we can catch up on things there really quick."_

"That's fine. We'll see you this afternoon then."

"_Roger that. Talho out."_

"Renton out." he replied. "Ok kids, let's make sure the house is clean before they get here, but keep it quiet for your mom, ok?"

"Ok Papa." they all replied.

"Hap, let's get moving!" yelled Nadia. "Holland and Talho should be here at any time." Hap just layed there on his bed snoozing trying to catch a few more minutes of rest before getting up for the day. Unfortunately it didn't work because Nadia had sent Avriana in to jump on him.

"OOF! Hey kiddo." he laughed. "Let me guess, your mother sent you in to wake me up, right?"

"Yep, she did." Avriana replied with a smile.

"I'll make sure to get your mother back later." he replied laughing.

"You'll have to catch me first." Nadia replied in the doorway. "And I'm not that easy to catch."

"We'll see about that. How are we looking anyways?"

"Everythings good. Ken-Goh, Woz, and Gidget are monitoring things on the bridge. Doggie is in the sub-bridge checking on systems there. Matthieu and Hilda are in the hangar checking on the 909,808, Nirvash, Venturion, and Newhope. The 606 is still out with Holland and Talho."

"Ok, sounds good. Anything else?"

"Not at the moment. Everything is all set and ready to go at any time."

"Excellent. Thanks for the report. Have Gidget get Doggie back up to the main bridge. What's Stoner up to?"

"Developing those family photo's he took at Renton and Eureka's after Felicity was born."

"I already know where Jobs is, so I know we're ok there. Alright, have everyone on the bridge do a complete security and systems check. I'll be up in the bridge in a little bit."

"Sounds good. Come on Avriana, let your dad get dressed now."

"Ok mom." she replied.

"_GekkoState, this is the 606, do you copy?" _asked Holland over the radio.

"606, this is the Gekko, go ahead." Gidget replied.

"_We'll be there in ten minutes. Make sure the landing ramp is open for us."_

"Roger that." Ten minutes later, Holland, Talho, and Stephen and the 606 were back home and docked in safely.

"Home sweet home." said Talho as they entered the ship. "It feels good to be back."

"No doubt. I'm heading up to the bridge so I can check on things up there."

"Alright, I'll go unpack our and Stephens things. I'll see you up there in a bit."

"See you in a few." Holland replied.

"Morning everyone." said Eureka happily.

"Hi Momma!!" said Maeter.

"Hi dear. Where's your father at?"

"In the shop with Maurice. Linck is outside playing and Felicity is sleeping. Me and Papa already changed and fed her."

"Good job dear. Have you been helping watch her?"

"Mhm. I have the baby monitor right her next to me. Papa has the other one."

"You're going to be a wonderful big sister Maeter, you know that?"

"Thanks Momma!"

"Linck, you be careful out there!" Eureka yelled from the front doorway.

"I will Momma!" he happily yelled back.

"Renton!"

"In here dear!"

"What are you and Maurice up to?" she asked as she walked into Renton's shop.

"I'm showing Maurice how to build a reffing board. I thought I'd spend some father and son time with him."

"That's wonderful Renton. How do you like doing this Maurice?"

"It's pretty cool. I just can't wait until it's done."

"Sounds like it." Eureka smiled.

"What's Maeter doing?" asked Renton.

"Working on her study guides. Linck is outside playing."

"That's good. How did you like the extra sleep?"

"It was nice. Thank you dear."

"You're welcome. By the way, Holland and Talho will be visiting later on today. Me and the kids already cleaned the house, so you can just sit back and relax for a bit."

"Ok, that's fine." she replied. As Eureka began to walk out of the shop, she heard Felicity crying in the nursery. "I guess her nap time is over. I'll take care of it dear."

"Ok." he replied. As Eureka walked into the nursery, she gently said "Shh Felicity. Momma is here." Eureka then gave Felicity her pacifier and gently picked her up out of her crib and cradled her into her arms. Felicity then slowly calmed down and relaxed in her mothers gentle embrace. Eureka just smiled as Felicity then played with her mothers index finger.

"Is she ok Momma?" asked Maeter.

"Yeah, she's fine. She just wanted to be held and get a little attention, that's all."

"Can I hold her Momma?"

"Maybe when she's a bit older ok?"

"Ok." Maeter replied as her mother sat next to her.

"Welcome back leader!" said Gidget happily.

"Hey everyone." said Holland. "How have things been going around here?"

"Everythings been running straight and normal." Hap replied. "All systems have been checked. All security checks have been completed for the day also."

"Roger that. How have the patrols been going?"

"They're going well. We've ran into a little opposition here and there, but that's been it so far."

"How about the trapar counts?"

"They're low, but there's enough to keep us airborne."

"Roger that. Let's fire up this bird and stretch out her wings a bit."

"Roger that." Doggie replied. "All engine pressures are normal. Now igniting boosters. Releasing brakes. Gidget, do we have clearance to launch?"

"Roger, clearance confirmed!!" she replied.

"Woz, how about radar?"

"Radar is clear, no enemies in sight." he replied.

"Roger that. Ok everyone, hang on tight. Launching now!!" and with that the GekkoState raced off the runway and into the skies above Bellforest.

"Ahh, feels good to be back in the air." said Talho. "I got all of our stuff unpacked. Stephen is in his room taking a nap."

"Sounds good." Holland replied.

"Leader! We have a communication coming from the Izumo. It's captain Jurgens."

"Put it through."

"Roger that." she replied.

"_GekkoState, this is captain Jurgens of the Izumo. Do you copy?"_

"Izumo, this is the GekkoState, go ahead."

"_Holland, do you have any plans later on today?"_

"Just to visit Renton and Eureka and the new baby in a bit, why do you ask?"

"_We have a meeting that requires your attendance this evening. Can you make it?"_

"I should be able to around seven."

"_Roger that. We're at the site of the new base being built here. The meeting will be on my ship. We'll see you at seven then."_

"Copy that. Gekko out."

"_Izumo out."_

"I wonder what that was about." Talho replied.

"Not sure. I guess I'll find out in a little bit."

"I suppose so. Hey Gidget, can you page Anemone to come up here?"

"Roger that." Gidget replied. _"Anemone, your presence is requested on the bridge. I repeat, your presence is requested on the bridge."_ Five minutes later, Anemone arrived on the bridge.

"Hey everyone, what's up?"

"Anemone, can you watch Stephen for a bit? Me and your dad are going to Renton and Eureka's for a bit."

"Sure, no problem mom."

"Thanks dear. We'll make it up to you later."

"Don't worry about it, just as long as you take me with you next time."

"You got a deal." Talho replied. "Come on Holland, let's go."

"Alright. Ken-Goh, you're in charge. Everone else, you know what to do."

"Roger that!" they all replied.

"Renton, kids, dinner is ready!!" yelled Eureka from the kitchen.

"Ok Momma!" yelled the kids from the living room.

"Coming dear!" yelled Renton from his new shop. "And what did the most beautiful mother in the world make us today?"

"Oh Renton." Eureka giggled. "It's just beef stew. Something nice and simple this time."

"Works for me. How's our daughter doing?"

"She's in the nursery taking another nap. I already fed and changed her."

"Ok, I'll take her the next time she wakes up."

"That's fine. How is Maurice's ref board coming along?"

"It's going good. We should be done in a few days."

"That's good."

"Maeter, is there anything you like doing these days?"

"Not really. I just like helping take care of my new sister." she replied.

"And you're doing a good job dear." said Eureka. "But is there anything else you like doing?"

"Well, I'd like to be a pilot when I'm older. Preferably on the Gekko if Talho and Holland will let me."

"That's a wonderful career Maeter. I'm sure Talho or Doggie would gladly help you out."

"Do you think so?"

"I don't see why not."

"Why not what?" asked Talho from the doorway.

"Hi mom and dad!" Eureka replied. "Maeter was thinking of being a pilot on the Gekko when she gets older, with your help if it's ok with you."

"That's fine with me. I'll train her whenever she wants to."

"Yay!! Thank you Talho!"

"Sure Maeter, anytime dear."

"Smells good in here." said Holland. "What are you guys having?"

"Beef Stew." Renton replied. "There's plenty left if you want some."

"I may do that. You want any dear?"

"Sure, why not. So where's our granddaughter at?"

"In her crib taking a nap." said Eureka.

"How is she doing?"

"Wonderful. She's been eating and sleeping well, so that's a good sign."

"Yes it is. I still can't believe how much she looks like her mother though."

"Yeah, but she's as beautiful as her mother is." Renton replied.

"Trying to suck up for something Renton?" Holland laughed.

"I am not sucking up!"

"Sure you're not."

"Oh, be quiet Holland." Renton laughed. A little while later after everyone had eaten, they were all in the living room chatting amongst each other. Talho was sitting on the sofa holding Felicity while Renton and Eureka sat on either side of her. Holland was sitting on one of their two rocking chairs while the kids sat on the floor. At the same time, there was a nice warm fire crackling in the fireplace.

"It's so wonderful here." said Talho. "Are you sure we can't move in?"

"Sorry Talho, all the rooms are already occupied at this time." Renton laughed.

"Well, we were thinking about moving to Bellforest anyways so that way we could be near our family."

"What about your cabin mom?" asked Eureka.

"We'll sell it and buy a house here in town."

"Are you sure?" Renton replied. "I mean, that is where Stephen was born."

"I'm pretty sure we are." said Holland. "We already have six of you here plus Dominic, Anemone, and Axel living here, so why not us."

"It almost sounds like you're carrying on a tradition."

"I think we are." Holland chuckled. "Anyways, what time is it?"

"It's six thirty. Why do you ask?"

"I have a meeting with Jurgens at seven. So I had better get going. I'll come back and pick you up later, is that ok dear?"

"That's fine Holland." Talho replied. "If it gets too late, I'll just stay here for the night."

"Sounds good. I'll let you know on the radio if I get out early enough."

"That works. See you soon."

"You got it." he replied. Holland then gave Talho a gentle kiss, hopped into the 606, and headed out into the evening sky.

Twenty minutes later on the Izumo, the communications officer yelled "Sir, we have an unidentified flying object flying towards us!"

"Who is it?" Jurgens asked.

"Finding out now sir." he replied. A few moments laters he said "Id confirmed! It's federation unit 606."

"That's one of the GekkoStates units, so it's probably Holland. Give him confirmation to land."

"Roger that." he replied. A few minutes later, the 606 was parked in front of the Izumo. As Holland climbed out, he was met by Jurgens second in command.

"Holland, good to see you."

"You too Julia. So, what's this meeting about?"

"Even I don't know that. Jurgens refused to give me the details. Just follow me to the meeting room and we'll begin."

"Lead the way." Holland replied.

"Anemone!" yelled Dominic.

"In here!" she replied.

"What are you doing in Stephens room?"

"Watching him while mom and dad are out."

"I see. Mischa has been looking for you. She says you're due for your next check-up."

"It'll have to wait until tomorrow. My brother comes first."

"Ok, I'll tell her that, but she won't like it."

"Oh well. I'm going to go make him something to eat, so I'll see you after we're done."

"That's fine dear." he replied. They then gave each other a loving kiss before she and Stephen headed towards the dining hall.

"Jurgens, for what do I owe this pleasure?" asked Holland.

"Good to see you too." Jurgens laughed. "But let's get serious now. We called you to this meeting for a certain reason."

"And what's that certain reason?"

"This base and everything in it will be completed in several months now. That includes twenty five of our new KLF units, six battleships, nine hangars, the main building, and the control tower. We have enough crew and staff to run it, but no commander. That's where you come in."

"Me?"

"Yes you. You remember what we're building this base for right?"

"Yeah, to keep this territory under federation protection, but what does that have to do with me?"

"How well do you know this area?"

"Pretty well considering I grew up around these parts, why?"

"Well, me and my commanding officers had a meeting the other day. During that meeting, we decided that we would like you to be the commanding officer of this base."

"Well, that's quite an honor, but what about my current ship and crew? I certainly can't leave them behind. That's my family we're talking about here."

"We discussed that too. We're building a hangar specifically for your ship and it's upkeep. Your crew on the other hand has two choices- join and be members of the base, or completely disband. You may not be able to fly all the time, but you are more than welcome to have someone else take on and off command of the Gekko."

"Well, at least you left me with a choice there. How much time do I have to accept or decline this position?"

"We decided to give you one week. You won't take official command until the base is complete. You are completely free to do what you want until then."

"Boy, that doesn't leave me much time, but I'll talk to my crew and let them know. With the options you gave me, I think we'll be ok. Thank you Jurgens for this honor. I'll make sure to let you know our answer by weeks end."

"You do that captain. We hope to hear from you soon."

"You will, you have my word."

"I'll hold you to that. It's been good to seeing you again."

"You too Jurgens."

"By the way, how is the new baby doing? I heard from Talho that Eureka had it."

"She's doing great. She looks just like her mother, hair and all."

"That's good to hear. How do they like the new nursery and shop we built for them?"

"They absolutely love them. I'll make sure to have them thank you."

"I'll be waiting to hear from them. We'll see you later then."

"You got it."

Back at the Thurston residence, the young family and Talho were still sitting in the living room sitting and talking away. Eureka had Felicity in her arms feeding her while Renton and the kids were finishing up on their study guides.

"Good job guys." said Renton. "You're all caught up for now. It's late though so go get ready for bed and into bed, ok?"

"Ok Papa!" they all replied as they left the living room.

"You're doing well with them." said Talho.

"I know. I just wish we could get them back into school with kids their age. I'm sure their friends miss them."

"It'll happen soon, you'll see. Looks like I'll be crashing here tonight since it's late. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all mom." Eureka replied. "You can stay whenever you want."

"I may be here all the time then." she replied laughing.

"Don't push it mom." Eureka giggled. Just then, Hollands voice came over the radio.

"_Thurston residence, this is the 606. Talho, do you copy?"_

"606, this is Talho, go ahead."

"_I'm on my way out. Do you want me to pick you up?"_

"Negative. I'll stay here for the night. Did everything go ok?"

"_You wouldn't believe me if I told you. I'll fill you in later. I'll see you tomorrow then."_

"Roger that. I love you."

"_Love you too dear. 606 out."_

"Talho out."

"I wonder what's going on mom?" said Eureka.

"I don't know dear, but by the tone of Holland's voice, something has him worried."

"Sounds like it." said Renton. "I guess we'll find out later though."

"I suppose so. So, how is my granddaughter doing?"

"She's just laying here in my arms smiling and making noises at me." Eureka replied with a warm motherly smile.

"Too cute." said Talho while she looked over Eurekas shoulders. "You two had a beautiful child together."

"Thanks mom. I think so too."

"And so do I." said Renton as he sat next to his wife.

"Me and Holland were thinking about having another one, but we're not sure yet." Talho replied.

"Why not?" asked Eureka.

"Well, we do have three of you now, so maybe that's enough for us."

"I want to have at least one or two more together with Renton later on in life. What about you Renton?"

"I think that's doable." he replied.

"You two make a wonderful couple. I'm glad you two met each other."

"Me too." said Renton. "That reminds me, our one year anniversary is coming up in about a week and a half."

"It's been a year since you two have gotten married already? That's amazing." said Talho. "Where did the time go?"

"Good question." Renton chuckled. "I guess I'll have to plan something for us."

"Like what dear?" asked Eureka.

"Now I can't tell you that. You'll find out on our anniversary night."

"I guess I can wait. It had better be a special night though, just me and you."

"It will be, I promise."

"Ok you two." Talho laughed. "All this love is starting to make me sick. Now, can I hold my granddaughter again?"

"Sure mom." Eureka giggled.

The next morning, Holland arrived at Renton and Eureka's to pick up Talho. When he knocked on their door, Talho answered with Felicity in her arms.

"Oh, hi dear." he answered with a smile. "Where are Renton and Eureka?"

"They're still sleeping. Felicity woke up crying so I got up and changed and fed her."

"That was nice of you. Did you eat already?"

"Yes I did. I had a bowl of cereal after I fed her."

"Sounds like you have everything handled here."

"You could say that. So, what did Jurgens want last night?"

"The federation wants to make me the commanding officer of the new military base they're building here."

"That's wonderful dear!"

"Yeah it is, but there's somewhat of a catch."

"A catch?"

"Yeah. In order for me to accept, everyone on the ship would have to become members of the base or we would have to completely disband. But on the good side, they are building a hangar for the ship so that way we can keep it always."

"Well, that doesn't sound too bad. We're already part of the federation forces, so we can definitely work with it. Anything else?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't be flying that much anymore, so I would have to appoint someone else to be in charge of the Gekko most of the time."

"But who could do that? The only person I know that could handle it would be Ken-Goh."

"Yeah, but he's getting on in years, so I would hate to put that kind of pressure on him."

"Who could do it then?"

"I will." said Eureka from the hallway entrance to the living room.

"You Eureka?" said Holland.

"Yes. I've been around you and the Military long enough to know what to do. And besides, we're not breaking up our family."

"She's right Holland." said Talho. "She's been with you since your S.O.F days. I know you two hate bringing that memory up, but it does qualify her."

"Yeah, I guess it does. I just hope everyone else on the ship will back her up."

"I know I will." Talho replied.

"And so will I." said Renton.

"I guess it's unanimous." said Holland. "We'll have a meeting with everyone later today. Eureka, you won't be taking charge until the base is completed. I'm still in charge until then."

"That's fine dad. Thank you everyone for supporting me."

"We'd support you through anything dear, you know that." said Renton.

"Just remember Eureka, the Gekko will always be my ship, so make sure you take care of her when the time comes."

"I will dad, I promise."

"Good."

"Hey, I was wondering why Felicity didn't wake us up." said Renton. "Looks like your mother took care of her dear."

"Looks that way. I hope she didn't keep you up all night mom."

"She did for a bit, but that's ok, I'm used to it. I already fed and changed her for you."

"Thanks mom."

"You're welcome."

"So, what's for breakfast?" Holland chuckled.

Later on that day after Holland and Talho had returned to the ship, they called everyone into the lounge to give them all the big announcement.

"Attention everyone." said Holland. "There's going to be a big shake up in command of this ship in several months. I wanted to let all of you know now before the time comes. In approximately eight months, I will no longer be the full time leader of this ship. Due to her training and experience, Eureka will be taking full time command after that."

"What's the meaning of this?" asked Hap.

"The federation had decided to make me the new commander of the new military base being built in Bellforest. Now all of you have two choices at this time- either join the military and stay with the ship, or we'll have to disband for good. Eureka wants all of you to know that she believes in you and doesn't want our family to break up, but the decision is up to you. Me, Talho, and Renton already support her. So what do you say guys?"

"Hey, I'm in." said Hilda. "I'm not losing my friends or family."

"I'm all for it." said Nadia.

"I'm not losing my sister. I'm in!!" said Anemone.

"Me too." said Dominic.

"I'll be here always!!" said Gidget.

"I'm in!!" said Doggie.

"I'm a go!" said Woz.

"Include me in." said Jobs.

"I'm not going anywhere." said Matthieu.

"I guess I'm in." said Hap.

"I'll give it a shot." said Stoner.

"I'll support her." said Mischa.

"Hey Ken-Goh, you're the only one who hasn't said anything. Everyone else believes in Eureka, so how about it?" asked Talho.

"Well, I've known Eureka as long as you have Holland, but I'm not sure if she can lead us. But if all of you believe she can do it, then I'm in."

"Thanks old friend." said Holland. "Eureka would be proud of all of you. Now we have plenty of time to get her ready, and I will always be the owner of this bird along with Ken-Goh, so don't get cocky with it. Please take care of it now like you always have. I'll be keeping tabs on it just to warn you."

"Roger that." everyone replied.

"Ok everone, lets get to work."

The next morning, Holland headed back down to the new base to give Jurgens the final word on his decision.

"Well, that was quick." said Jurgens.

"I know, but I've made my decision. I'll take command of the base."

"That's good to hear. Congratulations commander. Who'll be taking control of the Gekko?"

"We all decided that Eureka would since she's the most qualified."

"Isn't she kind of young?"

"That may be, but everyone on that ship has faith in her that she can handle it."

"Works for me. Does Eureka know yet?"

"Yeah, she does. She's the one who volunteered for the position. But I'm heading to their place now to give her the final news."

"That's fine. Congratulations again Holland."

"Thanks Jurgens."

"Eureka, Holland's here!" said Renton.

"Be out in a second!!" she replied from their room.

"So what's going on Holland?" asked Renton.

"Not much at the moment. How is the little one doing?"

"She's doing well. She's sleeping at the moment."

"I see."

"Hi dad!" said Eureka. Eureka had came out of their room wearing a full length light blue spring dress and matching slip on shoes.

"Hey you. You're looking amazing today."

"Thanks. I felt looking nice today."

"You definitely pulled it off. Anyways, I came by to tell you that everything is now in place. You will now be the new captain of the GekkoState. We had a meeting with everyone last night and they're all backing you up one hundred percent."

"That's wonderful. Thanks for supporting me in this decision."

"Don't mention it. Until then if you want, you guys are more than welcome to stay at home until Eureka is fully recovered. We'll be around again in a few months to pick you up. Otherwise you can come back to the ship now. It's your decision."

"I want to stay home a bit longer if that's ok." Eureka replied.

"That's fine. We'll come around as often as we can so we can get you guys food and supplies so that way we can keep you protected and safe."

"Thanks Holland." said Renton. "You guys take care of yourselves up there until we get back, you hear?"

"We will, I promise. I had better get going then. Everyone is waiting for me."

"Ok dad, see you soon." said Eureka.

"Always." he replied while he hugged her. Holland then climbed into his 909 and took off into the noontime sky.


	26. Ageha Returns

-1Chapter 26- ageha returns

"Hey dad, working hard as always I see." said Adrock as he walked into the shop.

"I have to with you and Diane home now. Business here at the shop has been booming ever since I came back home."

"Looks like it. Why don't you try to get Renton down here to help? Everyone knows he's back now, so it should be ok."

"I would son, but there's no way of getting him down here since the Nirvash is still on the Gekko. He'd be a big help though with a lot of the smaller jobs."

"It's also be a good way for him to earn some money too for him and his family. I know it's risky, but how about you let me try to get a hold of captain Jurgens and see if I can arrange transport for him?"

"That'd be too risky. I don't need you or Diane in any more danger. I've lost you two once and I'm not doing it again. I'll make the call. You justs give me the frequency."

"Alright dad. If I remember the military correctly, it should be twenty eight point four three zero."

"Ok then. Let's see if it works."

"Captain, unknown contact paging us sir!" said the communications officer.

"Do you have identification?" Jurgens replied.

"Negative sir. But the man claims to be Axel Thurston."

"Axel Thurston eh? Put him through. Let's see what he wants."

"Roger that."

"Axel Thurston, this is captain Jurgens of the Izumo. Is there something wrong that we can help you with?"

"_Negative sir." _Axel replied. _"I was wondering if you can possibly do us one more favor."_

"Another one eh? And what would that be?"

"_I have a lot of work to be done in my shop and could use Renton to help me out. If it was possible, could you arrange a trasport for him to get back and forth to work?"_

"I think that's possible. I'll have one of my two passenger KFL's do the honors. I'll keep him with you guys though all day just for security reasons. I'll have him there in plain clothes also to keep him relaxed as well as you guys."

"_Much appreciated sir. I thank you for your time."_

"You're welcome Mr.Thurston. Izumo out."

"_Axel out."_

"Renton, Axel's on the radio!" yelled Eureka.

"Coming!!" he yelled from the shop.

"He's coming Axel. It'll be a minute."

"_That's fine. How's Felicity doing?"_

"Just fine Axel. She's laying in her crib playing with her toys right now."

"_That's good to hear. How are things with Renton?"_

"They're wonderful grandpa."

"_That's great to hear dear. I'm happy for you."_

"Alright, here's Renton."

"_Ok dear. You take care of yourself now."_

"I will grandpa." she replied.

"Hey gramps, it's Renton. What's up?"

"_You're coming to work tomorrow."_

"Eh? But how? The Nirvash is still on the Gekko."

"_I just talked to Jurgens. We arranged a daily transport for you to get back and forth. Be ready at eight in the morning tomorrow. It's time you started earning some money for your family."_

"Ah, ok. See you tomorrow then. Renton out."

"_Axel out."_

"Well dear, looks like I'll be earning some money for us now. At least we won't be broke anymore."

"Renton, we never were broke."

"What do you mean?"

"Dear, look at what we have here in front of us. A beautiful home, three wonderful kids, a new baby, and each other. In my opinion, we're the richest people in the world."

"Yeah, I guess you're right Eureka. We do have everything a family could ever want or need. Thanks for reminding of that."

"No problem dear, it was my pleasure." The look she gave him while they talked was the one that Renton had remembered since a little after they first returned home. It was the look of a woman in love, and it was still the look she always gave him on special moments like this. Renton then took her in a gentle hug and gave her the same long, passionate kiss that he did on their wedding day. When he released his lips from hers, she said "My Renton, I didn't know you loved me that much."

"Yes I do. And I'm going to make sure our anniversary is the best one you'll ever have."

"I can't wait." she replied.

The next morning, Renton woke up with the morning sun to start his first day back to work. As he looked his beautiful wife Eureka peacefully sleeping, he knew that their lives were finally and slowly falling into place. A little bit after he showered, ate, and got dressed, his ride to work arrived.

"Good morning Mr.Thurston." said the KLF pilot.

"Good morning. Nice ship you have there." Renton replied as he climbed in.

"Thanks. She's my baby. Let's get going."

"Yes sir. What's your name by the way?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm KLF unit leader Steve Jackson. I'll be your transportation and security for the next eight months until your wife takes command of the GekkoState."

"Understood. Why aren't you in uniform then?"

"Captain Jurgens felt it would be better if I stayed with you in more of a relaxed state. You should have head everyones reaction when I got this assignment. They weren't exactly happy when that happened."

"I bet." Renton chuckled. "It's not everyday that this sort of assignment comes up."

"It never does. It was almost a fistfight for this one."

"Sounds like it."

"It was, believe me. So, what will you be doing at your grandfathers shop?"

"We're LFO mechanics, but most likely I'll be working on small things like cars and motorbikes so I can get him caught up. I'll be doing LFO's and KLF's sometime after that."

"Sounds like fun. I'll enjoy hanging out with you guys the way it sounds."

"Yeah, but don't be surprised if my grandpa puts you to work. He hates it when people just sit around and do nothing."

"Great, thanks for the warning." fifteen minutes later, Steve and Renton landed at the Thurston garage where Axel was waiting outside.

"Morning gramps!" said Renton as they climbed out of the KLF.

"Renton. I hope your mechanics skills haven't gone to waste. You have a lot of work ahead of you."

"Don't worry about me gramps, I have everything covered. By the way, meet KLF unit leader Steve Jackson. He'll be my ride and our security for the next eight months."

"Nice to meet you Mr.Thurston." said Steve.

"You too. Renton, make sure he has something to do other than sitting around here watching us. You can work over there in the smaller garage on the cars and motorbikes sitting there. The work orders are on your desk in your office."

"My office?" Renton replied.

"Yes. Since I have no time to help you, you have your own shop. Just make sure you give me the completed orders every night before you go home."

"I will."

"Good, get to work, both of you. I'll be in my shop if you need anything."

"Ok gramps. Well Steve, don't say I didn't warn ya."

"Yes, I know." he replied. "Well, come on Renton, let's get to work."

"909, two to your right!!" yelled Hilda in the 808.

"Roger that!!" Holland replied. Holland then took the 909 and flew at them, trying to avoid their attacks at the same time. As the rebel forces fired their missiles and lasers at him, he was able to loop around several times before getting close enough to fire back himself, taking out one with his laser while throwing his scythe blade at the other, taking out only their weapons. "808, those two are down! Take care of the other three with the 606!"

"Roger leader!! Come on Matthieu!!"

"Roger that! I'm on your left, a little above you!"

"Roger! Two bogies to our ten, one at our one o clock! I'll take the one, you try to handle the two! I should be there shortly to back you up!"

"Roger that!" Matthieu replied as they broke off from each other. "Alright, it's been a while since I've had this much fun. Let's see if you guys are any good." As he charged in, the two rebel KLF's came charging at him also in defense. "So you do want to play eh? Let's see how this feels!!" The 606 then released it's boomerang scythe blade at the first of the two KLF's, knocking out it's ref board. "Not bad for being rusty." he chuckled to himself. Just then the second KLF began firing it's machine gun at him "CRAP!!" he yelled as he tried to dodge the attack.

"606, watch what you're doing!" yelled the 909.

"I am!" he replied as he retrieved his boomerang blade. "Ok, now I'm mad!" Matthieu then circled around and charged back into the battle at full speed, took his scythe blade out once again and took him out in one clean shot, causing the black and red rebel unit to explode in defeat. "Scratch two, I'm done!" he said over the radio excitedly. "I forgot what this feeling was!"

"Scratch one! Area now clear of rebel resistance!" said Hilda in the 808.

"Good job team!" said Holland. "Head back to the ship. We're done here. The federation will take it from here on out."

"Roger that!" they replied.

"All rebel units confirmed gone. 909, 606, and the 808 are now returning. Turn heading to two one zero!" said Gidget.

"Roger that Gidget." Talho replied. "Doggie, make the course corrections."

"Roger that." he replied. Two minutes later, the three LFO's were landed and secured into the landing bay.

"Matthieu, what happened out there? Are you losing it a bit?" asked Hilda as they climbed out of the LFO's.

"Nah, just a little rusty, that's all. It's been a while since we've been in a battle like that."

"I guess that's acceptable. It has been a bit."

"Yeah it has." Holland replied. "Is everyone ok though?"

"Yeah, we're fine. I'll do maintenance checks in a bit."

"Sounds good. I'm heading towards the bridge. See you two later."

"Roger that." Hilda replied. After Holland had left the hangar, Hilda asked "Are you ok Matthieu? Seems like you've been out of it lately for some reason."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I've just had a lot of things on my mind, that's all."

"Is this all about Eureka taking over as leader of the ship?"

"No, I'm fine with that. I know she can handle it with no problems. It's her and Renton being the reason I've been out of it lately."

"Why is that?"

"They've both been through hell and back just like the rest of us. Everyone on this ship except Jobs, Woz, and Stoner has someone now, and almost everyone on this ship has a family of some sort now also. It's almost making me Jealous these days for some reason."

"Matthieu, what are you trying to say?"

"Hilda, I know what I'm trying to say, I'm just having a hard time wording it."

"Then just tell me straight out Matthieu. You're starting to worry me." Matthieu then let out a heavy sigh, turned around to face her, and nervously said "Hilda, will you marry me?" He then pulled out a small velvet box and opened it, revealing the ring inside. Hilda just stood there frozen. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. She had been waiting almost four years for this moment, and it was finally here. Her dream was finally coming true.

"Matthieu, of course I'll marry you." she then took off her flight gloves and he slipped the ring on her finger.

"Thank you Hilda. You have no idea how happy this makes me feel."

"I feel the same way, believe me. But you have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment."

"I think I do." he chuckled.

"GRANDPA!!" yelled Diane the next day as she ran into his shop.

"Diane! What are you doing here?" Axel replied.

"It's dad! He's gone!"

"What?! Where'd he go?"

"He left a note saying he was going to the Capitol City. Something about uniting the world."

"Dammit. Alright, head back home and wait there. I'll update you as soon as I hear anything."

"Ok." she replied.

"Sis, what's going on?" asked Renton as she ran out of Axel's shop.

"It's dad. He's up to something big, but we don't know what. All I know is that he left home to do it."

"What? Why?"

"We don't know Renton. Just keep your eyes and ears open. If you hear anything, let us know."

"I will sis."

"Alright, I have to go home now and check with the local bus and airport depots. If he's gone anywhere, those are his only routes."

"Unless he got a car somehow. You know how crafty he is."

"Yes I know. But I better get going then."

"Alright sis." By the end of the day, new of Adrocks disappearance had spread like wildfire throughout the entire federation forces. News of it had finally reached Talho early in the evening. As she read the report, her eyes got wide. "HOLLAND!" she yelled.

"Talho, what's wrong?" he asked as he rushed into the bridge.

"Read this." she replied as she handed him the report.

"What in the hell is he up to?" said Holland after he read the report. "And why capitol city?"

"Should we go to Bellforest and get Renton, Eureka, and the kids?"

"No, we'll stay our course. If we go back, it may cause them to panic, and they don't need that with Felicity."

"Yeah, you're right. What should we do then?"

"Let's head to Capitol City. If we're lucky, we may be able to intercept him."

"Roger that. Doggie, set our course for Capitol City!"

"Roger that!" he replied.

"I just hope we get there in time."

"You aren't the only one." Holland replied.

"Morning Granpa!" said Renton a few days later. "Any word from dad yet?"

"No, nothing yet." he replied. "I just talked to Holland on the phone though. They're in Capitol City keeping an eye out for him. If he pops up, we'll be the first to know."

"That's good. Did he say anything else?"

"Yeah. He asked about you guys and how you were doing. I told him things were fine and that you're all doing well."

"Thanks grandpa."

"How is your work load coming along by the way?"

"Slow but steady. We're about halfway through everything."

"Good. When we're almost done, that's when I'll start taking more orders in."

"Sounds good gramps. Come on Steve, let's get to work."

"Right behind you Renton." Steve replied.

"Holland, get on the bridge now!!" yelled Talho over the intercom.

"What's the matter Talho?" he asked as he rushed in.

"It's Adrock! He got past everyone! He's on every tv, radio, and satellite frequency there is!"

"Dammit! What is he up to?"

"RENTON!!" yelled Eureka.

"What's wrong dear?" he replied as he ran out of their room early that evening.

"It's your father! He's on the radio!"

"What?! He got past everyone? But how?"

"I don't know dear. But let's listen and find out what he's doing."

"_Ladies and gentleman of earth." _Adrock began. _"This is Dr.Adrock Thurston. I know seeing me is a shocker to all of you, but please let me explain. I know I had mysteriously disappeared after the first summer of love, but I had never passed on at that time. I had become one with the scab coral. My daughter Diane did the same later on. We had gone there on our own, trying to find a way to somehow communicate with all of you that the scab wasn't trying to take over this planet that you call home. It was trying to talk to you, letting it be one with you. But during that time, Lieutenant Dewey Novak tried to destroy it, along with this planet. Him and his Ageha squad almost accomplished that mission, but due to captain Jurgens and his crew, the crew of the GekkoState, my son Renton Thurston, his wife, Eureka Thurston, who was the only humaniod coralians at that time, they had stopped that from happening. Renton and Eureka were able to communicate with the scab coral, thus creating the second summer of love. They were able to become one with the world, and now live together in peace at their home with their children and my new granddaughter. But their world and lives are being threatened once again by those who still believe in Dewey's evil plans. They are determined to destroy all coralians and scab coral life forms once and for all, thus they are going to end up destroying this world in that process. So I ask you now, go against the rebel forces! Protect this planet and all that you love on it! Don't let the rebels have their way! Show them that the true path to evolution isn't destruction! It's love, peace, and communication with the world. Let's show them that we decide on our own path of evolution, not them! Show them that we're in charge of our own fate!"_ Everything after he said that suddenly went blank and quiet.

"Dammit!" yelled Holland. "He just upped the stakes even more in this war. Not only that, he just endangered Renton, Eureka, and the kids without knowing it. Doggie, set our course for Bellforest and step on it!"

"Roger that!" he replied.

"Renton, what's going on?" asked Eureka afterwards.

"I don't know dear, but I think we're in more danger now than what we were before. Now that the world knows we have a child together, any low life scum out there will try to get their hands on her."

"Not if we have something to say about it." said a male voice from in behind them.

"Steve!" Renton replied. "Who's that with you?"

"This is Julia Robertson, Jurgens second in command. He sent us up here right away as soon as Adrock began his transmission. He wanted to make sure you guys were safe at all times."

"Thanks Steve."

"Don't mention it Renton."

"Nice to meet you by the way Eureka." said Julia.

"You too Julia." Eureka replied.

"So is that the famous Felicity I keep hearing about?"

"Yes it is. Do you want to see her?"

"Sure." she replied as she sat next to Eureka on the sofa. "My, she is a cute one. She looks just like her mother."

"Everyone says that." Eureka giggled.

"Anyways, we'll be camping out here for a while." said Steve. "We'll have tents set up outside for us. I'm sure the GekkoState will be back here soon enough."

"I won't hear of you guys staying outside." Renton replied. "It's going on fall and the nights are getting cool. We have our sofa and a spare bed. You can stay inside."

"Are you sure?" asked Julia.

"Of course we are." Eureka replied. "We wouldn't say so otherwise."

"In that case, I call dibs on the bed!"

"Great, I get stuck with the sofa." said Steve. Renton just chuckled and said "Come on you guys, I'll make some hot chocolate and some snacks for us."

"Grandpa, what do we do now?" asked Diane worryingly.

"You stay here until the Gekko comes back. You're going with them when they do."

"What about you Grandpa?"

"I'll be fine, so don't worry about me. You just get on that ship and stay safe."

"I will grandpa."

"Ok, good. I'm getting on the radio and calling the others. Hopefully they're ok up there."

"_Renton, Eureka, this is Axel. Do you copy?"_

"Mr.Thurston, this is KLF unit leader Steven Jackson. Go ahead sir."

"_Steve? What are you doing there?"_

"Captain Jurgens sent me and a female officer up here for security reasons sir. We came up here right away when this whole thing with Adrock started."

"_Will you be staying there?"_

"Affirmative sir."

"_For how long?"_

"That depends. That'll be determined when the Gekko arrives if they do come back."

"_Roger that. Thanks for watching over them Steve."_

"Don't mention it sir. It's our pleasure."

"_How are they doing by the way?"_

"Just fine sir. Renton is in the kitchen making drinks and snacks for all of us, Ms.Robertson is talking with Mrs.Thurston in the living room, and the children are sleeping."

"_Sounds good. I'll see you at work tomorrow then."_

"Roger that. Steven out."

"_Axel out."_

"Who was that Steve?" asked Renton.

"It was your grandfather checking in on you guys after what your father did."

"Is he ok?"

"Yes he is Renton."

"That's good. Well everyone come to the dining room, the snacks and drinks are ready."

Two days later, the GekkoState was finally back within the area of Bellforest. When they figured they were close enough, Talho tried hailing their kids on the radio.

"_Renton, Eureka, this is Talho. Do you copy?"_

"Hey mom." Eureka replied. "This is Eureka. Go ahead."

"_Hi dear. Are you guys ok?"_

"Yes we are mom. We're safe and sound."

"_Thank god. Where's Renton?"_

"At work."

"_Work? You mean you're home alone with the kids?"_

"Don't worry mom. Renton has someone with him and so do I."

"_Say what?" _she replied. Just then another female voice came over the radio. "Mrs.Novak, this is Julia Robertson, second in command of the Izumo. Captain Jurgens sent me and KLF unit leader Steven Jackson up here for security reasons due to the recent events."

"_That's wonderful."_ Talho replied. _"I owe you and captain Jurgens my thanks."_

"Don't worry about it ma'am. We're just doing our duty."

"_We still owe you our thanks among other things. We should be there in about an hour."_

"Roger that. I'll be here at that time. Mr.Thurston will be home early this evening."

"_Copy that. Thanks Julia."_

"No problem ma'am. Julia out."

"_Gekko out."_

An hour and a half later after the GekkoState was landed and Secured by the Izumo at the new base that was under construction, Talho immediately took off in the 606 towards Renton and Eureka's as Holland headed off in the 909 to check on Renton. As soon as Talho got to Eureka's, she quickly rushed in to check on her.

"Hey mom!" said Eureka.

"Are you guys ok?" asked Talho worryingly.

"We're fine mom. Julia has been watching over us the entire time."

"That's good. Where is she?"

"Outside doing security checks of the area."

"Wow, I guess they really are worried about you guys."

"Yes they are. They've been really kind and considerate to us."

"Good to hear. How's Felicity doing?"

"She's doing well. She was taking a nap the last I checked on her."

"I see. When was that?"

"About thirty minutes ago."

"In that case, I'll check on her again if that's ok with you."

"That's fine mom. Go ahead."

"Holland!" yelled Renton as Holland climbed out of the 909.

"Hey Renton!" Holland replied. "How are things going?"

"Ok so far, even though things have gotten a little tense after what dad did."

"I understand that. Are things with Eureka going ok?"

"Yeah, we're fine. We're just a little more cautious these days, that's all."

"That's good to hear. Who's your friend over there?"

"Oh, that's KLF unit leader Steve Jackson. Not only is he our security, but grandpa made him my co-worker as well."

"That explains the KLF sitting here. Is that your garage?"

"Yeah it is. Grandpa had so much work that needed to be done that he gave me my own garage next to his. We're almost caught up now because of that."

"Sounds like fun."

"It is. I'm thinking of possibly opening my own shop though and doing my own thing for my family. Working on KLF's and LFO's is fun and all, but working on simpler things like cars and motorbikes are more my style now."

"Well, I guess that is a plan." he replied. Just then an ominous sound started that Renton and Holland knew too well.

"THE WARNING SIRENS!!" yelled Renton.

"Dammit! Are the rebels reacting to Adrock's speech already?"

"Renton!" yelled Steve. "What's going on?"

"I don't know!"

"We'd better get you home then."

"Right!" Renton replied as he ran to close up the garage.

"Are you Mr.Novak?" Steve asked Holland.

"Yes I am." Holland replied.

"You had better come with us then sir."

"Negative. I have my Terminus 909 with me. I'll scout the area for intruders."

"Roger that. Renton, let's go!!"

"I'm ready! Let's head out!" Renton replied.

"Mrs.Thurston!!" yelled Julia.

"What's wrong Julia?" asked Eureka.

"The warning sirens are going off!! Lock up the house!"

"I'm on it!" she replied as she corralled their kids and locked the house.

"Mrs.Novak? When did you get here?"

"Just a little bit ago."

"I urge you to stay inside then until reinforcements arrive."

"Roger that."

"Julia!" yelled Eureka.

"What's the matter Eureka?"

"Where is my husband at? Where's Renton?"

"I'm sure him and Steve are on their way. Just hang tight ok?"

"Ok." she replied.

"Steve, I've got three rebel battleships on the radar!!" yelled Renton.

"Dammit! I can't take you home then. It'll give away your location. Hang on tight! We're heading to the base to get reinforcements!"

"Roger that!"

"TALHO!" Holland hollered on the radio. "Dammit, she must be in the house and the radio must be off. Ok, have to get to the ship and rally the others. We have to get these rebels out of here." he then took off in the 909 and stayed low enough to avoid the enemy radar.

"Renton, where are you going?" yelled Steve after they landed.

"To the Gekko to get the Nirvash!"

"Say what?!"

"Gidget, open the landing ramp! It's Renton!" yelled Hap.

"Roger that!" she replied. A few minutes later everyone gathered in the hangar as Renton was climbing into the Nirvash.

"Renton, what's going on?" asked Anemone.

"Rebel ships in the area! Everybody load up and let's get going! Come on sis!"

"Sis?" she replied quietly to herself as the cockpit of the Nirvash closed.

"Anemone, let's go!" yelled Dominic.

"Right!" she replied after she snapped out of her trance.

"Matthieu!" yelled Hilda. "I'd hate to say it, but you're going to have to stay here since Talho has the 606. Anemone, you guys cover Renton while I link up with Holland in the 909!"

"Copy that!" they replied.

"Alright team, let's go!" said Renton over the radio.

"Roger that!" they all replied.

"Eureka, what's wrong?" asked Talho. Eureka was in the kitchen making a bottle for Felicity when she instantly froze with a blank look on her face.

"Renton."

"Renton?"

"It's Renton, and the Nirvash."

"What about them?"

"He's in the Nirvash. They're heading into battle."

"Say WHAT?!"

"Holland, this is Hilda in the 808! Do you copy?"

"_Roger! I have you on the radar. What's the Nirvash doing here?"_

"It's Renton!"

"_What's he doing? He'll give themselves away!"_

"No I won't!" Renton replied. "As long as I stay away from our place we'll be ok!"

"_Understood! Hap, do you copy!"_

"Copy 909! Go ahead!"

"_You and the Izumo get in the air and provide support! Move it!"_

"Roger that!"

"Captain! Four federation LFO's and two battleships heading in our direction!" yelled a soldier from the lead rebel ship.

"Hmmm, I guess we weren't careful enough to keep our cover after all. All units, prepare for battle!"

"Sir! Three more federation battleships have entered the area! They must have been doing patrols and we didn't notice them!"

"What?! Where are they?"

"I'd hate to say it sir, but with their positions they have us completely surrounded! Any battle at this time would be useless!"

"Dammit! But how did they do that?"

"Captain!" yelled the communications officer. "We have a communication coming from one of the Federation ships!"

"Hmm… I'd hate to say it, but put it through."

"BUT SIR!"

"I SAID PUT IT THROUGH!"

"Roger that." he replied.

"_This is captain Jurgens of the Federation ship Super Izumo. We have you completely surrounded and outnumbered. State your intentions."_

"This is captain Adrian Smith of the rebel ship Earthlight. Our intentions are clear. To find the coralians that live here and destroy them! Let us pass so we can save this world from those wretched beings!"

"_NEGATIVE!" _Jurgens yelled. _"You will land and surrender your ships or be destroyed!"_

"We will never surrender ourselves to you federation scum! We are the supreme beings of this world! All ships prepare to fire!"

"_Captain Smith, don't force us to do this!"_

"No, you forced my hand by refusing to help in this great cause. All ships ready, aim…"

"_FIRE!!"_ Jurgens commanded. Soon all five Federation ships were engaged in a head on battle with the three heavily armed Rebel battleships, much to the disbelief of everyone in the federation and the GekkoState. Fifteen minutes later after a much heated battle against the three rebel ships, they were all finally destroyed.

"I can't believe they're getting so desperate that they would just blatently attack or show up without notice." said Holland over the radio.

"_After what Adrock did, I believe they'd do anything to stay ahead."_ Jurgens replied. _"Their mental state is at an all time low now that they know they're on the losing side of this war. The question is, what will they do next?"_

"I'd hate to guess."

"You brats want to bring the Oratorio project back?! Have you gone insane?" said General Weston.

"The coralians and scab coral are regaining control of this planet, and this is the only way to stop them once and for all." said the leader of the kids. She was easy to pick out since she was the only one who had blonde hair and barked out orders. "They may have beat us once, but they're not doing it again."

"I'm sorry, but I'm denying any funds for something that insane. We're not your mental father Dewey you know. I refuse to stoop down to his mental capacity. So go back to playing with your toys and KLF's."

"Too bad you feel that way General." she replied with an evil grin. She then whipped out her 9mm pistol and shot him straight between the eyes, causing him to fall off his chair and land on the floor, dead. "Now let's bring Oratorio back to it's former glory, but more powerful than before. So let's begin."


	27. An Anniversary to remember

-1Chapter 27- an anniversary to remember

"Mrs.Thurston, are you ok?" asked Julia.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Eureka replied. "How about you mom?"

"I'm ok." Talho replied. "How about you kids?"

"I'm ok." said Maeter.

"I'm alright here." said Maurice.

"I'm fine." said Linck.

"That's good." Talho replied. "How is Felicity doing Eureka?"

"She's fine mom. She slept through the whole thing."

"My, I guess she is a heavy sleeper. Julia, head outside and scout the area to make sure it's clear."

"Yes ma'am." she replied.

"By the way, do you know how to handle an LFO?"

"Yes I do, why?"

"Borrow my 606 and walk the grounds with it. If anything happens, it has a boomerang scythe blade for it's main weapon."

"Roger that. Thanks ma'am."

"Don't mention it, now get going."

"Yes ma'am!" Julia then ran out the front door, jumped into the 606, and began her patrols.

"Mom, I'm going to try to contact Renton on the radio." said Eureka.

"That's fine. Come on kids, I'll make you a snack."

"Ok Talho." they replied.

"What's this?" said Renton as his radio started beeping. "This is Nirvash, go ahead."

"RENTON!"

"EUREKA!"

"Renton, are you ok?"

"I'm fine love. The federation ships and the Gekko took care of the battle. Me, the 808, 909, and Venturion stood by for backup."

"I'm glad. Is everyone else ok?"

"Yeah, they're all fine. We're heading back to the base now."

"Renton, come home please. I need to see you."

"Eureka…"

"Please Renton?"

"Alright, I'm on my way, so hang tight." Renton then changed his course and broke away from the rest of the group.

"Renton!" said Holland over the video link. "Where are you going?"

"Home Holland. My wife needs me."

"I'll follow. Talho is with them."

"Roger that."

"Everyone else head back to the base. Me and Talho will be back there shortly."

"Roger that!" they all replied.

Ten minutes later, Holland and Renton landed in a small clearing a little ways from the house in order to avoid attention to the home. The two then ran the rest of the way in on foot. Holland was the first one to arrive while renton trailed a little ways behind. When Renton finally reached the clearing of their yard, Eureka was standing at the entrance of the small trail.

"Eureka." he said gently.

"Renton." she replied with tears of worry in her eyes. She then ran up to him and took him in a worried but caring embrace. After a minute of holding each other while she cried in his arms, Eureka finally said "Don't you ever do that again! You had me so worried being out there!"

"I'm sorry! I was only trying to protect my family."

"Renton."

"Listen Eureka, I promised you a long time ago that I would protect my family. If I have to go and do it on my own without you, I will. I love you all too much to let you get separated, especially with our new daughter now with us."

"Renton." she replied with loving eyes as she looked at him. As the two took each other in a slow kiss, the winds around them suddenly started twirling around and green trapar gently wrapped them in a soft, glowing light. As Holland, Talho, Julia, and the kids watched, their eyes were frozen wide open, almost in fear.

"Holland! What's going on?" asked Talho as she tried to block her eyes from the wind flowing around them.

"I don't know! We can't get near them with all this wind and trapar! We'll have to wait and see what happens!"

"Alright!" she replied.

"Holland, Talho, look!!" said Maeter. "Momma's wings!"

"They're… Shrinking!" Talho yelled.

"They're going away!" said Holland. "But why?"

"We'll find out in a minute!" said Julia. "The winds and trapar are finally and slowly beginning to fade!"

"Looks like they're ok though." Talho replied. Finally after what seemed like an eternity to them, the winds and trapar finally disappeared.

"Wow, that was quiet the kiss." Renton chuckled after they released their hold on each other.

"Yes it was." Eureka replied playfully. The two then turned around to see everyone staring at them.

"Uhh, what's the matter you guys?" asked Renton.

"Renton, didn't you two notice what was going on around you?" asked Talho.

"No, I never noticed anything. How about you dear?"

"I never felt anything." she replied.

"Eureka, look behind you." said Talho. As Eureka did, her eyes went wide. "MY WINGS!!" she yelled.

"You two had wind and trapar swirling around you while you were kissing." said Holland. "And as it did Eureka, your wings disappeared."

"I think I know what happened then."

"What?" asked Renton.

"A little while back while I was still pregnant with Felicity, I told Mischa that because of the wonderful life we had conceived together, I had felt more human than before. I think this proves it. It had somehow made the bond I have with you even closer then before. Perhaps your dna mixing along with mine with Felicity caused this to happen."

"Maybe that's what the Nirvash meant by becoming one with each other."

"I think it is Renton."

"Do you feel ok though?" asked Talho.

"Yeah, I'm fine mom. I guess I'll have to get used to not having wings again."

"Are you sure you're ok dear?" asked Renton.

"Yes love, I'm perfectly fine. Now I can finally go out just like any other person."

"Good thing. We have an anniversary coming up in two days."

"Yes we do."

"Talho."

"Yes Renton?"

"Can you take Eureka out and get her a nice evening gown? Here's some money to do it with."

"Where'd you get all this money Renton?" she asked.

"From working at the shop. Me and Steve were so good at getting things caught up that we got paid pretty handsomely."

"Looks like it. Come on Eureka, we're going to find you a dress that'll knock your husband dead!"

"Ok mom!" she replied. "Thank you dear."

"No problem. Now go have fun. And Talho?"

"Yes Renton?"

"Go out to dinner too."

"You got it!" Eureka and Talho then climbed into the 606, strapped in, and took off towards town.

"So where are you taking her out to?" asked Holland.

"I can't tell you that. It wouldn't be a secret then."

"I guess that works. Who is going to watch the kids?"

"I was thinking of having Nadia do it."

"Here?"

"No, on the ship for the night."

"I see. You had better get in contact with her then and ask her."

"I will Holland."

"_Nadia, please report to the bridge. I repeat, Nadia, please report to the bridge."_ said Gidget over the P.A system.

"So Renton, how are things going with Felicity?" asked Gidget while they waited.

"_They're going great Gidget. Me and Eureka couldn't be happier."_

"Awesome! I can't wait to see her again."

"_You will in a couple of days."_

"Why is that?"

"_Me and Eureka are going out for our anniversary in a couple of days and the kids will be on the ship while we're gone."_

"Is that what you wanted Nadia for?"

"_Yes it is."_

"Cool!" she replied.

"Hey Gidget, what's up?" asked Nadia as she walked into the bridge.

"Renton is on the radio for you."

"Renton?"

"Yep. Here you go."

"Thanks Gidget. Renton, this is Nadia, go ahead."

"_Hey Nadia."_ he replied. _"How's it going?"_

"Pretty well thank you."

"_That's good. How are things with Hap and Avriana?"_

"They're wonderful. Avriana is doing well and things with Hap are going great. I think he's the one Renton."

"_That's great to hear. I'm glad you're happy with him. I have a favor to ask you."_

"You do?"

"_Yep. Me and Eureka are going out for our anniversary in a couple of nights and I was wondering if you could do us the honors of watching our kids while we're out."_

"Really?"

"_Yes really. I think you've earned enough trust from us that you can do it."_

"That's great!! Of course I'll watch them for you."

"_Thanks Nadia. Talho will bring them to the ship that afternoon."_

"Sounds good. I'll see them then."

"_Roger that. Thanks again Nadia."_

"No problems Renton. You two have fun then."

"_We will. Renton out."_

"Nadia out." as Nadia left the bridge afterwards, she had no idea what kind of trouble she would be running into.

"Hey mom, what do you think we should look for?" asked Eureka as they walked through town.

"I'm not sure. I know you got that one dress from your sister, but that's more of a party dress. We need something nicer and more elegant."

"Like what?"

"I'm thinking form fitting, floor length, maybe with a mathing short top."

"Sounds nice. What color do you think we should use?"

"I don't know. I think maybe black would be best."

"Black?"

"Yeah. It's a perfect color usually for something like this. Besides, I know it'll make your husband drool and swoon all over you."

"You think so?" Eureka giggled.

"Yep. And if we can, let's find something that glitters in the moonlight. It'll give you a nice added effect that'll make Renton not want to let you go."

"He doesn't already."

"Well I'm about to make it worse. Come on!"

"Holland, can you watch the kids for a bit? I have to go into town and take care of a few things." said Renton.

"Sure. What do you need to do?"

"Make reservations at the restaurant, get Eureka an anniversary gift, and make sure my suit is ready at the cleaners."

"Alright, see you in a bit then."

"Thanks Holland."

"Hey mom, we've been to three stores already. Why don't we go with my silver one?" said Eureka a little while later.

"Nope. We still have three other stores to check out. There's got to be something here in this town."

"I hope so. My feet are getting tired."

"Well the next one is a block up. If they don't have anything here, we'll take the 606 to the other end of town for the other two."

"Ok." she replied. As the two walked into the store a few minutes later, Talho talked to the clerk while Eureka browsed the spring dresses they had on sale. As she flipped through them, she found a couple of light blue ones, a flower patterned dark blue one, and a white one. "These would match some of the winter sweaters Renton got me a while back." she said to herself. "Hey mom!"

"What is it Eureka?"

"I found some spring dresses on sale that I like!!"

"But it's going on fall you goof!" Talho laughed.

"I know, but I have some winter sweaters that Renton got me a while back that would go great with them."

"I see. You'd be looking like an everyday housewife that way. They are nice though."

"Do they have the kind of dress we're looking for?"

"They're checking right now."

"Can we get these if we have enough?"

"Sure."

"Ma'am." said the clerk.

"Yes?" Talho replied.

"You're in luck. Looks like we have exactly what you're looking for."

"Awesome. This is the fourth store we've been to."

"Follow me to the back of the store here. They should be somewhere in with the formal dresses. Is this for you ma'am?"

"No, it's for my daughter here."

"I see. What's the occasion?"

"Me and my husbands wedding anniversary." Eureka replied.

"Congratulations. Ok, here we go. You look to be a petite, so we'll try that first. If it don't fit, we'll try a medium."

"Ok."

"The dressing rooms are right behind you. You can try them on there."

"Thank you." she replied as she walked into the dressing room.

"Thank you sir. Your reservations are set. We will see you and Mrs.Thurston Friday evening at seven. Shall I have the food you picked out prepared for when you arrive?"

"Yes please, along with the drinks."

"Very good sir. See you on Friday."

"Thank you." Renton replied. "Ok, restaurant reservations are set. All I have to do now is head to the jewelry store to get Eureka's present, to the dry cleaners to get my suit, and we'll be all set."

"Eureka, how's it going in there?" asked Talho.

"Ok mom. It looks great!"

"Does it fit ok?"

"It's just slightly snug, but that's it."

"To be expected since you just had a baby not too long ago. You'll shrink just a little bit more yet."

"You think so?"

"I know so. Now lets see it!!" Eureka then walked out of the dressing room with the dress and matching top on. "Wow Eureka, you look amazing."

"Thanks mom. I like it too."

"Good. We'll take it then. Go get changed. We'll take the other dresses you like too."

"Ok. Thanks mom."

"Don't thank me, thank your husband. He's paying for everything."

Two days later, everything was all set for Renton and Eureka's big day. Talho was at their home getting the kids ready to go along with Diane, who Eureka and Renton decided to have come up to babysit Felicity since they decided they didn't want her traveling in an LFO just yet. Renton and Eureka were in their room getting changed for their night out.

"Renton, Eureka, you guys ready yet?" asked Talho from their living room.

"Almost!" Eureka replied. "I can't believe it's been a year already Renton."

"I know." he replied as he buttoned up his shirt. "It feels like we just got married."

"Doesn't it? I can't wait to see where you're taking me." she replied as she slipped her dress on. "Can you zip me up?"

"Sure dear. It's kind of weird seeing you without wings these days. I was so used to them."

"Yes I know. But I feel more normal now without them, which is nice. I definitely feel closer to you now because of it."

"Same here dear." he replied as he put on his shoes. The two then completed their ensembles by putting on their matching jackets. "Wow Eureka, you look beautiful."

"Thank you Renton."

"It's missing something though."

"What? I have everything on."

"Face our mirror and close your eyes."

"What are you doing Renton?"

"You'll see. Just close your eyes." Eureka then closed her eyes as Renton quietly pulled a small case out of his dresser drawer. He then gently pulled out a solid gold necklace with a diamond heart pendant in the middle. He then carefully placed and latched it around her neck. "Ok dear, open your eyes." When she did, tears of happiness filled her eyes.

"Renton, it's beautiful."

"Happy anniversary Eureka."

"Thank you Renton."

"You're welcome. Now let's get going. We're going to be late."

"Ok." she replied. When the two entered the living room, they were greeted by wide eyes and warm smiles.

"Wow, you two look amazing." said Diane.

"Thanks sis." Renton replied.

"Eureka, where did you get that necklace?" asked Talho. "It's gorgeous."

"Renton just gave it to me for our anniversary." she replied.

"Very nice. It works well with that dress."

"Thanks mom. Are the kids ready to go for the night?"

"Yep. They're getting into the 606 right now."

"Sis, can you handle Felicity while we're out?" asked Renton.

"I have it covered Renton. I helped raise you since you were a baby, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"Thanks sis." Renton chuckled nervously.

"Let's get going dear. We'll be late if we don't." said Eureka.

"Ok, see you tomorrow guys." said Renton as they left.

Shortly after Renton and Eureka left, Talho and the kids arrived at the Gekko. Nadia was in the hangar waiting for them when they showed up.

"Hey kids!" said Nadia as they climbed out of the 606.

"Hi Nadia!" they replied.

"Maurice!" said Avriana.

"Hi Avriana!" Maurice replied happily.

"Where's your new sister kids?" asked Nadia.

"Renton and Eureka had Diane watch her at home. They decided that they didn't want Felicity traveling just yet." Talho replied.

"Ok, that's fine. Come on kids, I have dinner cooking in the dining hall."

"Ok!" they all replied.

"Have fun with them!" said Talho.

"I will." Nadia replied.

"So where are we going Renton?" asked Eureka at they walked up the street.

"You'll see." he replied. Eureka just smiled and held onto his left arm as they continued to walk along. Several minutes later, they arrived at their destination.

"Renton, here? This is the most expensive place in town."

"And it's already paid for. Come on." he replied as they walked in.

"Good evening sir." said the concierge. "Do you have a reservation?"

"Yes I do. Two for Thurston please."

"Ah, yes, Mr.Thurston. If you and your wife will follow me, I'll take you to your table."

"Thank you. Is everything ready like I asked?"

"Yes it is sir."

"Excellent."

"And here you are sir. You and your wife enjoy your evening."

"Thank you."

"This is wonderful Renton. Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome dear. Happy anniversary."

"Happy anniversary Renton."

"Hilda, have you seen the kids?" asked Nadia. "I haven't been able to find them since dinner."

"Sorry Nadia but I haven't seen them. Have you checked their rooms?"

"Yeah and they weren't there."

"How about the lounge?"

"Weren't there either."

"Well, just keep checking around. I'm sure you'll find them."

"Thanks Hilda." she replied. "Well, I guess I had better go to the medical room and shut it down for the night." as she walked down the hallway, she ran into one of the many pranks that would unfortunately befall her and the crew. Right when she walked in front of Haps room, she tripped over a piece of clear fishing line, falling flat on her face. "Ow…." she said groggily.

"What's going on out here?" said Hap when he opened his door. "NADIA! Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"What happened?"

"I don't know. I tripped over something."

"Looks like fishing line. Looks like the kids are up to no good."

"Say what?"

"They're known for pulling pranks on new crew members, so I'd watch myself if I were you."

"Thanks for the warning." she replied as she got up. As she continued on and arrived at the medical room, she looked inside to make sure it was all clear. "Looks safe." she said to herself. As she walked in, she was hit by prank number two. "KIDS!!" she yelled after a bucket of water fell on her. As she stomped off to her room to dry off and change into her nightgown, she was hit once again by prank number three. She had tripped another trip line, sending a bag of well hidden sugar pouring onto her head, making her sound off a blood curdling scream.

"Nadia, what's wrong?" asked Talho as she ran towards her. As she did, she accidentally set off the next trap, causing a bucket of red dye to fall all over her.

"OH NO!! Talho, are you ok?"

"Red…dye…on…my…new…clothes. Those kids are so in trouble." she replied as she tried to keep her cool. "Nadia dear, where are the kids?"

"I wish I could tell you. I can't find them."

"That means they have Avriana involved too. Come on, let's go get cleaned up and get a snack. We'll plot our revenge then." When the two reached the ships shower room, they were met by a slippery floor, causing them to fall on their backs.

"OW, that hurts!!" said Nadia.

"Looks like they greased the floor." Talho replied. "Man, I think I'll need a chiropractor now."

"I hear you there."

"Come on, you can use the shower in our room."

"Thanks." After the two were cleaned up and showered, they headed towards the dining hall for an evening snack.

"What should we have?" asked Talho.

"I'm thinking a hot fudge sundae." Nadia replied.

"Mmm I like your taste."

"Hey Talho, where are the bowls at?"

"Cabinet on the left above the sink."

"Ok." she replied. That's when the kids struck again. When Nadia opened the cabinet door, a bunch of fake toy snakes flew out of the cupboard. "AAAA!!! SNAKES!!"

"They're fake Nadia, so relax."

"Thank goodness. Those things freak me out."

"Looks like it. I'll get the ice cream. What flavor do you want?"

"I'm going chocolate on this one. I need it."

"Ooh, I think I'll do the same. You got the bowls?"

"Yep. You got the ice cream?"

"You know it. Anything else?"

"Any cherries?"

"You know it."

"How about whipped cream?"

"You got it." Talho replied. As she opened the refrigerator door, she was met in the face by a large apple pie.

"Talho, are you ok?" asked Nadia. "Oh my, they did it again."

"Those kids are messing with the wrong women." said Talho angrily.

"But how do they know where to get us? That's what I can't figure out."

"They must be using the intercom system somehow." Talho replied as she cleaned off her face. "Keep quiet for a second." she then silently went over to the intercom to check it out. "Looks like it's off." she thought to herself. As she inspected closer, she noticed the panel was loose. When she pulled it off, she saw that the reply button wires were put together, keeping it on at all times without anyone knowing. "So that's how they're doing it. Looks like Maurice learned a few things from Renton." she then hooked the wires back up right so that the intercom was turned off. "Nadia, we have some sneaky kids here."

"Looks like it. How do we fight back?"

"Let's get the crew together. It's time we fight fire with fire."

"That dinner was amazing dear." said Eureka. "The desert was wonderful too."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

"So what do you have planned for us next?"

"You'll have to wait and see. Come on dear."

"Everyone here?" asked Talho as they all gathered in the dining hall. Everyone nodded yes in reply. "Good. Has anyone else been pranked on tonight?"

"Someone put gum in my slippers." said Doggie.

"There was lotion in my night cap." Gidget replied. "It took me forever to clean it out of my hair."

"I got nailed with silly string." said Matthieu.

"Someone switched my shampoo with shaving cream." said Holland.

"My underwear got switched with some womens underwear." Hap replied.

"Say WHAT!?" said Talho.

"It's just what I said Talho."

"Uh-oh, I wonder whose underwear they got then? By the way, where is Nadia?" All you could hear afterwards was the sound of steps running towards them. A few seconds later, Nadia rushed into the room. "Someone got into my dresser!"

"Ahh, Nadia, we already know about that." said Talho.

"But how?"

"They put your things in Haps dresser."

"H-Hap…has…my…things?" Nadias's face quickly blushed red before she passed out.

"NADIA!" said Hap as he went by her side. "Those kids have gone too far this time!"

"No kidding. They pulled this kind of mess when Renton and Eureka went on their honeymoon." Anemone replied. "And me and Dominic got all of it."

"Agreed." said Dominic. "They think they can get away with it since their parents aren't home."

"What do we do then?" asked Holland.

"We prank back. Here's what we're going to do." Talho replied with an evil smile.

"Renton, where are we?" asked Eureka.

"You'll see." he replied as they walked up a wooded path. When they got to a small clearing at the end of it, Eureka noticed bottles of champagne, a carefully layed down blanket, and candles surrounding them. "Hold on a minute." Renton then went ahead to lite the candles and turn on a radio that he had borrowed from Matthieu. When he turned it on, a slow mix of romantic smooth jazz began to play.

"Renton, it's beautiful."

"I thought you'd like it. A nice night under the stars, romantic candlelight, good music, and alone time with the most beautiful woman in the world seemed like the perfect combination for a wonderful evening."

"It's wonderful dear." Eureka replied as she held her husband. "You're the most wonderful husband in the world."

"And you're the most wonderful wife in the world." he replied. As the two sat down on the blanket, Renton popped open one of the bottles of champagne and poured a glass for each of them. "Here you go dear."

"Thank you."

"Here's to us and our family."

"To us." she replied. The two then toasted, gave each other a gentle kiss, and cuddled underneath the stars.

"Are we all set then?" asked Holland.

"Yep." Talho replied. "We trick the kids into the hangar by making them think Nadia is there talking with Hilda. If they fall for it, you and Matthieu get them with the water guns and balloons. Hap and Doggie will get the honors of firing off the pies while me and Gidget use the silly string. If they try to make a break for the stairs, Hilda and Nadia will hit them with the flour bombs."

"Man, that sounds like a massacre."

"Those kids won't know what hit them. So let operation 'ultimate revenge' begin. We start at 0900 tomorrow."

"Yes Ma'am." Holland replied with a smile.

"Eureka, are you ok?" Renton chuckled a little while later.

"I'm fine." she replied in a slurrish tone. "See?" she said as she began to dance around.

"Settle down dear." Renton laughed. "I think you had a little too much to drink."

"I'm ok dear." she replied as she continued to clumsily prance around. "I haven't had too much."

"I think you have."

"No I haven't." she said as she recklessly plopped down next to him.

"You've finished off two bottles love. Maybe you should take it easy. You've never had this much before."

"It's ok." she giggled. "I have you here with me."

"Ahh, what are you doing?"

"Taking my jacket and shoes off. I want you to see how beautiful I am."

"You're beautiful the way you are dear." he replied with a slight laugh. "Now it's getting cool out. Why don't you keep your jacket on."

"Oh, ok." she replied giggling. As the two layed down underneath the stars, Eureka layed her head on his shoulder and said "Don't ever leave me Renton."

"I won't, I promise."

"Ok." she replied. Eureka then closed her eyes and passed out in his loving embrace.

"Well, looks like we'll be spending the night here." Renton chuckled to himself. "At least she's ok." he then took the blanket, wrapped it around them, and fell asleep under the star filled sky.

The next morning, Holland and Talho had everything ready to go to get revenge on the kids' pranks. Doggie, Hap, Matthieu, and Holland hid out in the 606 and 808 while Talho and Gidget hid out on the side of each one. Hilda made out like she was doing maintenance checks on them while Nadia acted like she was going down there to talk to her. The kids fell for it and ran ahead to try to pull their biggest prank ever.

"Are they here?" asked Nadia when she finally arrived in the hangar.

"Yeah they are." Hilda replied quietly. "They're hiding in a little cubby hole underneath the stairs."

"I see. Are we all set then?"

"Yep. They'll probably try to strike when we walk back into the ship."

"Ok. Let's get going then." Nadia replied with an evil smile. As the two began walking back towards the stairs from the 808, they could hear faint sounds of snickering coming from the stairs. "Why aren't they moving?"

"I don't know." Hilda replied nervously.

"Linck, you ready?" asked Maeter.

"Yep!" he replied.

"This is going to be great!" said Maurice.

"Are we sure of this?" asked Avriana. "Haven't we done enough already?"

"You can never have too much fun." Maurice replied with a smile. "Linck, get ready!"

"Ok!" he replied.

"Alright, and, NOW!!" Linck then released the rope to their biggest prank ever.

"Hilda, what is that noise?" asked Nadia.

"I don't know." she replied. The two then looked above them and got pummeled by the biggest prank ever. A large tarp that had been carefully tied up to the ceiling of the hangar released a barrage of eggs on top of them, some of which were a little on the ripe side.

"AAAAA!!!! ROTTEN EGGS!" yelled Hilda.

"YOU KIDS ARE DEAD!" Nadia replied.

"Come on guys!" yelled Maurice. As the four kids were about to make their final escape, the rest of the crew reacted the same and began their barrage against the kids. As Holland and Matthieu nailed them with the water guns and balloons, Hap and Doggie fired off the pies while Talho and Gidget nailed them with multipule cans of silly string. Nadia and Hilda then vented their frustrations by dropping flour bombs on the kids' heads from the top of the stairs. By the time all was said and done, the hangar looked like a complete war zone.

"You kids give up?" asked Nadia after they were done.

"We do, you win." said Maurice.

"You kids promise not to pull any more pranks?" asked Talho.

"We promise." they replied.

"Got to admit, that was fun though." said Hilda.

"Yeah it was." Holland replied. "We ought to do things like this more often."

"Just minus the rotten eggs." said Gidget. "It smells in here now."

"Yeah, it is a rather putrid smelling, isn't it?" Hilda replied.

"Well," said Talho. "you and Nadia go and take the kids and get yourselves all cleaned up since you could use it. We'll clean up here."

"Roger that. Come on kids. You coming Nadia?"

"Right behind you. Later guys!"

"Later!" they all replied.

A little while later on at a small clearing over looking the forest outside of Bellforest, Eureka was finally waking up after a long nights slumber.

"Morning dear." Renton chuckled. "How are you feeling?"

"My body aches and my head hurts, but I think I'm fine otherwise."

"Sounds like a hangover. I felt the same way but worse after my bachelor party."

"How long will it last?"

"Only about a day. You'll be fine by tomorrow."

"That's good. I guess we had better get home soon then. Diane is probably worried and wondering where we're at."

"You're probably right dear. I got everything packed up, so let's go. I'll help you along. A while later, Renton and Eureka arrived at home to find Diane in the living room feeding Felicity.

"We're home!" said Renton.

"Welcome back!" Diane replied. "I hope you had a good time."

"We did, thanks. How's our little girl?"

"She's doing well."

"That's good."

"Renton, I'm going to go lay down for a bit." said Eureka.

"Ok, that's fine."

"Is she ok?" asked Diane after she left the dining room.

"Yeah, she just had a little too much champagne last night."

"I see." Diane giggled. "Want me to stick around longer?"

"Could you sis?"

"Sure."

"Thanks. I'm going to go fire up the radio and check on the kids."

"Alright." she replied.

"Leader, Renton is paging us!" said Gidget.

"Put him through."

"Roger that."

"Renton, how did your night out go?" asked Holland.

"_Everything went great. The only problem we ran into was Eureka had a little too much Champagne."_

"How bad did she get?"

"_Pretty tipsy before she passed out, but she's fine though. She's in our room laying down right now."_

"Hung over eh?"

"_Just a little. Not nearly as bad as we were that one night."_

"Don't remind me."

"_Anyways, how are the kids doing?"_

"Everythings going great. When do you want them home?"

"_Actually, I was going to ask you if you could keep them one more night so Eureka can recover a bit."_

"That'll be fine. I'll let Nadia know."

"_Thanks Holland."_

"Don't mention it."

"_Alright. Renton out." _

"Gekko out."


	28. Fright Night

-1Chapter 28- Fright Night

"Morning everyone." said Renton.

"Morning dear." said Eureka.

"Hi papa!" said the kids. Life in the Thurston residence had taken a peaceful turn for the young family since the last battle over the city. Renton was still working harder than ever at Axels shop, Eureka was now a stay at home mom, and the kids were finally back in school for the time being. Fall was now in full bloom and the days were getting cooler. The reds, yellows, and oranges of the trees left Bellforest and their home enveloped in a beautiful sea of color.

"Renton, don't forget your lunch!" yelled Eureka before he and Steve left.

"Thanks dear!"

"By the way, Anemone and Dominic will be stopping over today."

"That's fine. I'll see them when I get home."

"Ok. Love you."

"Love you too Eureka. Let's go Steve!"

"Roger that. Have a good day Mrs.Thurston!"

"You too Steve! See you later!" she replied. Eureka then went back inside the house to get the kids off to school. "Let's go kids. Talho will be here at any time now."

"Ok Momma!" they replied. About ten minutes later, the 606 landed next to the home. "Eureka, we're here!" Said Talho as they walked in.

"Hi mom! Hey sis!"

"Hi Eureka!" Anemone replied. "You're looking great."

"Thanks. How's it going with the twins?"

"Wonderful. I can't believe we're at four months already."

"I know. Where's Dominic?"

"He'll be along later. He had some things to do with Jurgens first."

"I see."

"Are the kids ready yet?" asked Talho.

"Should be. Come on kids!"

"Coming mom!" they replied from their rooms.

"Eureka, Anemone, I have some news to tell you later when I get back ok?" said Talho.

"Ok mom." Anemone replied.

"Hi Talho!" said the kids as they came running out of their rooms.

"Hey kids. Ready to go?"

"Yep!" they replied.

"Ok, let's go. Avriana is waiting outside."

"Avriana?" said Maurice.

"Yep. Nadia has her enrolled in school now too."

"Cool!" he replied. Talho just laughed and said "Let's get going. You guys are going to be late if we don't."

"Ok!" said Maeter. "Bye Momma!"

"Bye kids! Behave yourselves!"

"We will!" they replied as they got into the 606.

"See you in a few!" said Talho.

"Ok mom!" Eureka replied.

"How is Felicity doing?" asked Anemone after Talho and the kids left.

"She's doing well. She was playing with her toys in her crib the last I checked."

"Can I go see her?"

"Sure. I have to clean the kitchen anyways."

"Do you like being a stay at home mom?"

"I don't mind. I wouldn't mind getting out more though. But I'm afraid of taking Felicity out in a LFO."

"Do you have any plans for today?"

"Why?"

"Well, why don't we try going out today?"

"I don't know Anemone. I'm not sure how well Felicity will handle it."

"We won't know unless we try."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"I know I am. You have a stroller for her right?"

"Yeah. It's next to her dresser."

"Ok, I see it." Anemone replied. "Where's your radio at?"

"In the living room in the far right corner. Why?"

"Because," said Anemone as the walked out of the nursery with Felicity in her arms. "we're having a girls day out with mom."

"There you go kids." said Talho. "Maurice, make sure you show Avriana around. We arranged it so she was in the same classes as you."

"Ok, I will." he replied. "Come on Avriana!"

"OK! Thanks Talho!" she replied.

"Anytime kids! See you this afternoon!"

"Bye!" the kids replied as they ran into the school. As Talho walked back around the corner to the awaiting 606, she could hear the radio beeping in the cockpit.

"Shoot!" she yelled.

"Weird, she doesn't seem to be answering." said Anemone. "I guess I'll have to wait until she gets back."

"Looks like it." Eureka giggled. "Have you eaten yet?"

"No, not yet. Why?"

"Want me to make you something?"

"Nah, I'll just have some cereal."

"Ok, I'll get everything out for you."

"Thanks sis. So, how do you enjoy having your own home?"

"It's wonderful." Eureka replied as she got everything ready for Anemone. "It's better than being on the ship, even though we do miss being around the rest of the family."

"We miss having you around too, but we know you want to take care of your family first."

"Thanks Anemone. Everything is ready for you."

"Thanks sis."

"You're welcome. I'll take my daughter now."

"Ohhh, ok." Anemone laughed as she sat down to eat.

"Come to momma Felicity." said Eureka with a smile as she took her daughter. Felicity just smiled and giggled as Eureka took her into her arms.

"Too cute." Anemone replied. "I hope our kids are like that."

"They will be. Just times two."

"No kidding." Anemone giggled. As Eureka sat in the dining room and chatted with Anemone as she ate, Talho arrived a short while later.

"I'm back!" said Talho as the walked in.

"Hi mom!" they both replied.

"Hey girls. Did one of you try paging me earlier?"

"That was me mom." said Anemone.

"Did you need something?"

"I was wondering if we could have a girls day out, just you, us girls, and Felicity."

"Shouldn't be a problem. Eureka, did you say it was ok to take Felicity out?"

"Yeah, I said we could give it a shot."

"It'll be good for her anyways. Does Renton leave you any money?"

"Yeah, I keep it in our room."

"Grab what you think you'll need then. I'll put Felicitys stroller and carseat in the Nirvash since you still have it. Anemone can ride with me."

"Ok mom. I'm still nervous though."

"We'll take it easy, don't worry."

"Thanks mom." A little while on as the 606 and Nirvash were flying along towards Bellforest, the Nirvash suddenly began communicating with Eureka.

"_Eureka."_

"Nirvash?"

"_Who is that child with you?"_

"That's Felicity Nirvash. She's the daughter me and Renton had together."

"_You two have learned to become one with each other. The world will start becoming a better place now because of you two."_

"Yes we have Nirvash, and it's really a wonderful feeling."

"_I'm glad. I promise to protect Felicity as well Eureka."_

"Thank you Nirvash."

"Eureka, how are things going over there?" asked Anemone in the 606.

"Everythings fine." she replied.

"Roger that." said Talho. "How is Felicity doing?"

"She's all laughs and giggles. I think she's actually enjoying the ride."

"That's good. I wish I was there to see it. Anyways, we'll be in town in a few minutes."

"Roger that."

"Hey Renton, is that the Nirvash?" asked Steve.

"Yeah it is." he replied as he looked up towards the sky. "And that's the 606 with her. Mind if I borrow your radio?"

"No, go ahead."

"Thanks." he replied as he climbed into the KLF. "Nirvash, this is KLF unit 0014, Renton speaking. Do you copy?"

"Hi dear. This is Nirvash, go ahead."

"What are you guys up to?"

"Me and Anemone are having a day out with mom."

"Oh really? And where is Felicity?"

"She's with me."

"Wow. How is she handling the ride?"

"She's all laughs and giggles Renton. Too bad you can't see her."

"Sounds adorable. I have to get back to work then. Have fun and I love you."

"Love you too dear. Nirvash out."

"0014 out."

"You really are a family man, aren't you Renton?" asked Steve afterwards.

"Yep, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Hey mom, what are all these decorations?" asked Eureka a little bit later as they walked through town. "I've never seen them before."

"Oh, those? It's the Halloween season. It's the time of year where everyone dresses up in costumes, has parties, and just tries to scare the wits out of each other. Kids go out on that particular night also in their costumes and go door to door to peoples houses and get candy."

"Sounds interesting."

"It's really quite fun."

"Hey mom, what was that news you were going to be telling us?" asked Anemone.

"Oh yeah!! Thanks for reminding me. Me and your dad just sold our cabin. He's out looking at houses with Stephen right now."

"You mean you're actually moving here!?"

"Yep, it's official."

"Awesome! I can't wait to see what you get."

"Neither can I. But let's not worry about that now. It's our day out, so let's have fun!"

"Ok!" both the girls replied.

Later on in the day after Talho returned to the Gekko, she ran into Holland in their room watching videos with Stephen.

"Hey Holland, what are you watching?"

"Educational childrens videos. I think I've rotted my brains out watching them."

"I believe it. How did the house hunting go?"

"It was ok. Not much out there right now though."

"I see. Any luck though?"

"Yeah actually. Ran into a few three bedrooms and a couple of four bedrooms that were really nice."

"Three would be nice, but isn't four a little much?"

"That's what I told the realtor, but then I got an idea."

"Do I want to know?"

"Well, call me crazy, but with Anemone and Dominic having the twins, their apartment may be a little small. So if you are up to the idea, how about we have them move in with us?"

"I don't know. That would mean three babies in the house when Anemone has hers."

"Well, it would be temporary until they got a bigger place later on."

"It is an idea. We've seen their place and it is rather small."

"Well, they would have their own room, Stephen would have his along with the twins, we'd have our room, and they could put their living room furniture downstairs since one of them has a finished basement family room."

"Boy, you're making it sound better even more. But I'll think about it ok?"

"That's fine. How was your day?"

"It was nice. I spent most of it with the girls."

"Sounds like fun. Where's Dominic by the way? I haven't seen him all day."

"He's with Anemone at Renton and Eureka's."

"I see."

"Hey, since you threw an idea at me, can I throw one at you?"

"Sure, go for it."

"What would you say to throwing a Halloween party and haunted house on the ship?"

"Sounds like fun. Why do you ask?"

"Well, since we haven't had the time to celebrate holidays lately, I thought a little fun was in order."

"Cool. Let's do it then. I'll let everyone know tonight."

"Thanks. I'll go let Renton, Dominic, and Anemone know."

"What about Eureka?"

"Leave that to me. Since this is Eurekas first real holiday, I have special plans for her."

"The communicator." said Dominic.

"Who is it?" asked Anemone.

"It's the Gekko. Be right back."

"Ok." she replied. "Thanks for dinner you two. That was the best roast I've ever had."

"You're welcome sis." said Renton. "I'm glad you two could stick around."

"So are we. It was great spending time with you guys. We should do it more often."

"Yeah, I think so to."

"Hey Renton dear, why do you call Anemone your sister?" asked Eureka.

"Well, I am married to you and Anemone is your sister, which makes her my sister-in-law. Thus I can either call her by her name or call her sis."

"Oh, ok. That's fine then."

"Which do you prefer Anemone?"

"I like sis better, but you can call me either one." she replied.

"Renton, Talho wants to talk to you." said Dominic as he walked back into the living room.

"Ok." he replied as he took the communicator. "Be right back dear."

"Ok." Eureka replied. "What did Talho want Dominic?"

"Not sure. She kept saying something about Halloween, but she wouldn't explain what's going on. She said she'd tell us later when we returned to the ship."

"That's weird of her." Anemone replied.

"No doubt. Makes you wonder what she has up her sleeve this time." Just then Renton walked back into the living room with a huge smile on his face. "Hey Renton, did Talho tell you what's going on?"

"Yes she did, but I promised her I wouldn't say anything, so my lips are sealed."

"What is she up to?" asked Anemone. "This is going to drive me nuts now."

"You can't even tell me?" asked Eureka.

"Sorry dear." Renton replied. "I promised your mom that I wouldn't, and I'm not breaking that promise."

"Is there any way I can change that?" she asked seductively. She then gave him a passionate kiss to see if she could soften him up.

"Mmm, that was good, but sorry dear. Nice try though."

"Oh, ok." she replied. She then gave him one more gentle kiss and went back to watching Felicity.

"Wow Renton, I can't believe you were able to do that." said Dominic. "If Anemone did that to me I would probably break down in a heartbeat."

"Hey, now I know how I can get things out of you." Anemone replied playfully.

"Oh crap."

"It's not easy, believe me." Renton chuckled. "It takes a lot of will power to avoid situations like that."

"Looked like it. But anyways, we had better head home for the night. We'll be at our place tonight if you want to buzz us for anything."

"Sounds good guys. We'll see you later then."

"Ok." said Anemone. "Bye sis!"

"Goodnight Dominic and Anemone! See you soon!"

"You got it sis. Night guys!"

"Goodnight!" said Renton as he walked them out the door. "That was a nice visit."

"Yes it was." Eureka replied as she laid Felicity down for the night in the nursery. "But are you sure you can't tell me what mom said?"

"A promise is a promise Eureka." he replied as they sat next to each other on their sofa in front of the fireplace. "Anyways, I'll be taking the kids out tomorrow to get Halloween costumes. Want to come along?"

"Sure. I want to see what this holiday is all about."

"Ok, we'll head out in the morning then." Renton then gave her another passionate kiss and cuddled with her before retiring for the night.

"Hey Holland." said Talho. "Dominic and Anemone just called. They're at their place tonight."

"That's fine."

"Does the crew know about the party then?"

"Yep and they're all really stoked. It ought to be a good time."

"Good. Where's Stephen?"

"In bed. He fell asleep already."

"You mean we actually got some alone time?"

"Seems like it. Why do you ask?" Talho just gave him a passionate smile as she walked towards him in their room and closed the door.

"So what do you kids want to be?" asked Renton the next morning as they walked through town.

"I want to be momma when she had her wings." said Maeter.

"That's a good idea Maeter. We'll get some supplies and make the wings at home."

"Ok!"

"What about you Maurice?" asked Eureka.

"I want to be dad. I already have the clothes. I just need a wig that matches his hair."

"Sounds nice. What about you Linck?"

"I want to be a ghost!" he replied.

"Sounds scary." Renton replied. "Any ideas for yourself Eureka?"

"I'm not sure. I've never done this before."

"I'm sure we'll find something fun for you. Come on kids, let's try this store here."

"Ok papa!" they replied.

"Wake up sleepyhead." said Holland. "I've got breakfast for you."

"Good morning." Talho replied with a warm smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. How are you feeling today?"

"Absolutely wonderful. We haven't had a night like that in ages."

"No we haven't."

"Is everyone else up?"

"Yep, and they're all gone. I guess they went out to get their costumes for the party."

"They must be really excited for it then."

"Looks that way."

"Stephen still sleeping?"

"Amazingly yes. I thought he'd be up by now."

"When should we go get some costumes for ourselves?"

"In a little bit. You finish eating first. Oh, and before I forget, we added a few more guests to the list."

"Who?"

"Jurgens, Julia, Nadia's brother John, and Steve. Diane and Axel will be here also."

"Sounds like a ship full."

"Ought to be." Holland replied as he got up to leave.

"Where are you going?" Talho replied as she grabbed his arm. "I'm not done with you yet."

"Hey Renton, what do you think of this?" asked Eureka as they looked around.

"Looks good dear. You'd be my princess. If I could, I'd be your knight in shining armor if I could find the right costume."

"We should have something like that sir." said the clerk.

"Really?"

"Yep. Let me check my inventory."

"Thanks."

"No problem sir. Be right back."

"Alright. Did you find what you need kids?"

"I did!" said Linck.

"Hey dad, is this wig close enough to your hair?" asked Maurice.

"Looks like it. Maybe we could do a little styling on it when we get home."

"Ok."

"How about you Maeter?"

"I found a dress, but I can't find anything that matches your hair momma."

"We'll keep looking ok? Maybe we can make something at home if we don't find anything."

"Ok momma."

"Sir!" said the clerk.

"Yes?" Renton replied.

"We have a couple of those suits here if you're interested."

"Awesome. I'll take one then."

"Ok. I'll pull one out for you."

"Thanks."

"Here we go Maeter." said Eureka. "All we have to do is dye it to my hair color."

"Cool! Thanks momma!"

"Hey Renton, I found a cute one for Felicity!"

"Alright. Go ahead and grab it."

"Ok."

"Here you go sir." said the clerk when she returned to the front of the store. "Are you and your family all set then?"

"Looks like it. We all set dear?"

"Yes we are." she replied. "Take your things up to the front kids."

"Ok momma." they replied.

"We're back!" said Hilda. "Where is everyone?"

"Still out." Talho replied. "Did you guys find what you wanted?"

"Yep. I got a mummy outfit and Matthieu got a ghoul costume."

"Ooh, sounds freaky. Were you able to pick up the decorations?"

"Yeah. Matthieu is unloading them right now."

"Awesome. Anything else going on lately?"

"No, why?"

"Don't think that I never noticed that ring on your finger." Hilda just stood there wide eyed and speechless. "Congratulations on it. I knew he'd do it someday."

"Thanks Talho. When are you and Holland going out for your costumes?"

"As soon as you and Matthieu are done unloading."

"Ok, we'll hurry up then. I'm sure you guys want to get out there before all the good costumes are gone."

"Hey Hap, have you found anything at all yet?" asked Nadia while they were out.

"Nope, but I did find a little werewolf costume for Avriana. Now she can scare her boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" said Avriana.

"Come on kiddo, we all know how much you like Maurice."

"Daaaaad!"

"Leave her alone Hap." Nadia giggled. "Hey, how would you like me as an angel?" she said while holding up the costume.

"There is a lame reply to that, but I won't say it." he replied laughing. "But hey, it looks good, so go for it."

"Thanks, I will."

"Hey, how about me as Dracula?"

"Ooh, scary. I love it. But why Dracula?"

"I have an idea, but you'll have to wait and see what it is. Come on, let's check out and go home."

By the end of the evening, everyone on the ship had all picked out their costumes for the upcoming festivities. Talho had picked out a clown costume to wear for the kids while Holland planned to show up as a ninja warrior. Doggie and Gidget picked out male and female zombie costumes while Mischa got stuck being a harpie since that was all she could find. Anemone and Dominic went out with Jurgens and Nadia's brother John to look for theirs. Jurgens came out with a Jason costume from an old fashioned horror movie. John came out with a giant ape costume that he thought was hilarious while Anemone picked out a witch costume that Dominic unfortunately made a badly timed comment on, resulting him to getting a bloody nose and a kick to the groin. He eventually (and painfully) walked out of the store with a western cowboy outfit. Renton and Eureka's security guards picked out a couple of costumes from an old video game while Diane was able to get Axel in on the fun by getting him a Frankenstein outfit and her a fairy princess costume. Finally, Woz, Ken-goh, and Jobs showed up with pirate costumes, with Ken-goh obviously being the captain. Renton before he, Eureka, and the kids got home stopped at another store to get one more thing he wanted to surprise Eureka with. By the time all was said and done, everyone was ready for a long, fun night come Halloween.

Several days later, the day of Halloween had finally arrived. Eureka was the first one to get up that morning. When she woke up, Renton was still sleeping at her side since Axel had given him the day off. A warm smile came to her face as she carefully rolled over and gently fell back asleep. A little while later when she woke up again, Renton was gone.

"Where'd he go?" she asked herself as she got up and walked around the house. "The kids and Felicity are still sleeping and he isn't in his shop. Maybe he went for a walk." she finally concluded. As she went back into their room to catch a couple more hours of sleep, she turned over to face Rentons side of the bed after she got in. When she did, Renton popped up with a monster mask on, causing her to scream and roll off the bed and onto the floor. Renton just sat there and laughed at her until he removed the mask and said "Happy Halloween!"

"Renton Thurston!" said Eureka sternly as she got up and composed herself. "You scared me half to death!"

"That's the point of Halloween dear!" he chuckled. "You ok though?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. We're lucky we didn't wake up the kids or Felicity."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't expect you to react like that."

"Just don't do it again ok?" she replied as they got back into bed.

"I won't, I promise. You should have seen the look on your face though. It was priceless."

"I bet it was. My heart is still racing a bit though."

"Are you alright?"

"I'll survive dear."

"I hope so. I'd hate to lose you."

"I'm not going anywhere for a long time yet Renton." she replied as he took her into his arms.

"That's good to hear love." he replied as he held her tight. The two then got comfortable and fell back asleep in each others embrace.

"Hey Holland, how's the decorating coming along?" asked Nadia.

"Hey Nadia. Everything is going great. It should be one heck of a bash."

"Awesome. Where's Talho?"

"Her, Hilda, and Anemone were working on the hangar the last I knew. How is Avriana doing in school?"

"She's doing extremely well. I just had a conference with her teachers already and she's well ahead of the other students. Her teachers can't believe it."

"Wow. Sounds like we have a genious on the ship."

"Yeah it does. She may be able to teach us a thing or two if she keeps it up."

"That'd be the day."

"No doubt."

"Hey, can you help me hang some of these decorations?"

"Sure."

"Talho, Dracula's coffin is here!" said Hilda.

"Awesome! Have the delivery guys put it in the lounge."

"Alright. Follow me guys."

"Yes ma'am." the delivery guys replied.

"This haunted house is going to be awesome mom!" said Anemone.

"I know. Your sister is going to be freaking out by the time we're done with her."

"I can't wait until I see her face by the time she gets through it all. She's probably going to end up killing us."

"I believe it." Talho laughed.

"Are you going trick or treating with Renton, Eureka, and the kids tonight?"

"Yep. We're going out with Stephen, Nadia, and Avriana too."

"Cool. Can I tag along?"

"Sure."

"Thanks mom."

"You're welcome dear. I'll be right back, ok?"

"Ok mom. I'll keep working here."

"Alright. I'll only be a few minutes." As Talho left the hangar to head to the bathroom, she all of a sudden felt sick to her stomach. She barely made it to the toilet before she started puking. "Oh no, not now." she thought to herself as she got up and composed herself. "I can't be pregnant now. We weren't planning on having another one yet." she worryingly thought to herself. Immediately after she got done in the bathroom, she rushed into Mischa's office to get checked out.

"Mischa, I need you to run a pregnancy test on me. So do you have a few minutes?"

"Sure. I'll go get one for you right now."

"Thanks a million."

"No thanks needed. Alright, here we go. I'll give you the test and we'll know in a few minutes."

"Ok." Talho replied. A little bit later after Mischa ran the test, she came back in and said "It came back negative Talho. You probably just got sick from something you ate."

"Thank god. I wasn't ready to have another baby just yet."

"Well, we'll run another test in several days just to make sure you're clear."

"Ok, thanks Mischa. See you later then."

"Alright." A few minutes later, Talho arrived back in the hangar where Anemone was still working on decorating.

"Is everything ok mom?" asked Anemone as she walked in.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Just a little pregnancy scare, that's all."

"Are you?!" asked Anemone excitedly.

"No, the test came out negative. We're going to check in several more days though just to make sure."

"I hope you are. That would be awesome." Talho just laughed and said "We'll see. I'm not sure if I'm ready to have another just yet."

"Well I still hope you are. I wouldn't mind having another brother."

"Oh Anemone." Talho giggled as she gave her daughter a hug.

"Hey Talho!" said Hilda as she and Matthieu walked into the hangar. "What's with the mother and daughter moment?"

"What, can't I hug my own daughter? So what's up?"

"Me and Matthieu have to run out and get some more supplies. You need anything?"

"Nope. We're all set here."

"Ok. Come on Matthieu!"

"Right behind you honey!" he replied.

"See you in a bit!" said Anemone.

"Later!" Hilda replied as she and Matthieu drove off in one of the bases military jeeps.

"Maeter, I got your wings done!" said Renton from his shop.

"Ok papa!" she replied from the living room.

"Come in and see them!"

"Coming papa!"

"Well, what do you think?" asked Renton as she walked in. "I even spring loaded them so that they could flap a little."

"Awesome dad! They're totally cool."

"I'm glad you like them. Is your costume ready to go then?"

"Yep! Me and momma already dyed the wig her hair color."

"Cool. Go get ready then."

"Ok papa!"

"Hey dad, how do I look?" asked Maurice as he walked into the shop.

"Woah, it's my twin! Where'd you come from?"

"I guess we got it right then."

"Yes you did. Good job Maurice."

"Thanks dad."

"No problem bud. Is your brother all set to go?"

"Yep. His was easy."

"Alright. I suppose me and your mother had better go get ready ourselves. We'll be heading into town in a little while."

"Ok dad."

"Eureka!"

"What dear?" she replied from the nursery.

"It's our turn to get ready!"

"Alright!" she replied. "Maeter, can you watch your sister for a few minutes?"

"Sure mom."

"Thanks. Come on Renton!"

"Coming!" he replied as he walked out of the shop. "Hey Eureka, look. It's my younger twin."

"Wow, which one am I married to?"

"Funny dear." Renton laughed.

"I thought it was." she giggled.

"Ha ha." he replied as he kissed her. "Let's go get changed. It's time to go have fun with the kids."

"Ok. Be out in a few minutes kids."

"Ok momma." they all replied. "Hey Renton, do you have anything else planned for tonight?" asked Eureka as they walked into their room and closed the door.

"You'll have to wait and see my dear. I'm still sworn to not say anything."

"Are you sure?" she asked as she pulled her costume out of their closet.

"Yep. If I did, your mother would kill me."

"You can't say anything?" she said after giving him a passionate kiss.

"Nice try my love, but you aren't breaking this wall down."

"I'm going to keep trying Renton. I'm not one to give up that easily." she replied as she slipped off her dress.

"Oh really? I'd like to see you try."

"How about this?" she replied as she layed down on top of him and gave him yet another slow kiss, her half naked body pressed against his.

"Wow, what put you in this mood?" he said after she released her lips from his.

"I'm just trying to break down that wall of yours." she replied with a warm smile.

"You can do that all you want, but it's not going to work. Now let's hurry up and get ready. The kids are waiting for us."

"Oh, ok." she replied playfully.

"Hap, are you ready?" asked Nadia.

"Almost!" he replied.

"Hey mom, how does this costume look?" asked Avriana.

"Looks awesome Avriana. You'll get lots of candy with that one."

"Cool!"

"Now we just have to wait for your dad to come out."

"HURRY UP DAD!" yelled Avriana. All Nadia could do was Stand there and laugh after she did that.

"I'm coming!! Yeesh, women. I tell ya." he replied.

"I heard that!" Nadia yelled.

"Oh, you're still here?" he chuckled.

"Very funny Hap! Now hurry up! Renton and Eureka are probably waiting for everyone!"

"Ok, I'm ready!" he replied as he came out of his room. "How does it look?"

"Wow, you can suck my blood anytime."

"I look that good eh?"

"Yes you do. So, are you ready to perform then tonight Mr. Dracula?"

"Yep. Eureka won't know what hit her."

"Cool. Come on Avriana, lets get going then."

A little bit later on, Talho, Stephen, Nadia, Anemone, and Avriana met Renton, Eureka, Felicity, and the kids near one of Bellforests larger suburbs.

"Hey guys!" said Anemone.

"Hey sis!" Eureka replied. "Hi mom!"

"Hi dear." said Talho. "Oh my, Felicity looks adorable in that N&N's costume."

"Yeah she does." said Nadia.

"Thanks mom and Nadia. Stephen looks great too. I also see you did the same thing for him."

"Yeah, I guess we did."

"Neat costume Avriana." said Maurice.

"I like yours too Maurice. You look just like your dad." she replied.

"I like how Maeter turned into her mom." said Anemone as they walked along. "Did you make the wings Renton?"

"Yep. I made them so that they could also flap."

"Cool. Awesome job Renton."

"Thanks. I'm proud of them too."

"Ok, enough talking, more candy! Let's go have some fun!" said Nadia.

"Right!" everyone replied.

"Hey Dracula, are you all set for your big performance?" asked Hilda a few hours later.

"Yep. We'll have Eureka running for her 'mummy' in no time." he chuckled.

"Ha ha, very funny. Alright everyone, get in your positions. They should be here shortly."

"Roger that!"

"Did all of you kids get enough candy?" asked Nadia.

"I think they did." said Renton. "Their pillow cases are all full."

"They'll all have rotted out teeth in no time." Talho giggled. "Did you have fun Eureka?"

"Yes I did mom." she replied.

"Good to hear. Let's head back to the ship then and relax."

"Sounds good to me." Renton replied. "How about you dear?"

"That's fine. Let's go kids."

"Ok Momma!" they replied.

"Ok Eureka!" said Avriana. Twenty minutes later, the entire group arrived at the base and the GekkoState.

"We'll go on ahead with the kids and Felicity." said Talho. "You guys park the Nirvash."

"Ok." said Renton as they all walked inside. As soon as Talho, Nadia, and all the kids were clear of the landing ramp, Renton and Eureka drove the Nirvash inside and parked it for the night.

"This feels weird." said Renton. "It's been a while since we've been back."

"I know. It'll be nice to see everyone again."

"I think so too." Just then the lights on the ship went out and the red emergency lights came on.

"What's going on?!" asked Eureka.

"I don't know!! Just be cautious. We'll stick together until we know what's going on."

"Right. Let's go." she replied. As the two entered the ship from the hangar, they moved ever so cautiously and carefully, watching every detail as they moved along. When they reached the first crossing hallway, Renton said "I'm going ahead for a second. You head right towards the lounge. I'll be right there in a minute."

"Alright." she replied as they split off. As Renton moved forward towards the bridge, Eureka moved towards the lounge slowly, keeping an eye out for any suspicious details. When she reached the doorway, she carefully opened it and looked inside. "What's all this?" she asked herself as she walked towards a coffin like box. As she looked inside, she saw what appeared to be a body. "Who is this?" Just then he opened his eyes, sat up suddenly, hissed, and bared his fangs. Eureka just screamed at the top of her lungs and ran back towards the bridge. Hap just sat there and laughed after she left. "Man, I can't believe the look of fear she had in her eyes!! Now it's Gidget and Doggies turn." he said to himself.

"Renton! Renton!" Eureka yelled as she ran towards the bridge. When she arrived, it was eerily quiet. "What's going on around here?" she thought as she walked in. "Renton?" she asked.

"There's no Renton here." hissed one voice.

"Just us zombies, who are looking for YOU!!" hissed the other as they came towards Eureka. Eureka just screamed again and ran out of the bridge towards her and Rentons room.

"It's up to Hilda and Matthieu now." Doggie laughed.

"Yep. That reaction she had was hilarious!" Gidget replied.

"I know, wasn't it?"

"I have to get to our room and see if he's there." said Eureka as she ran in that direction. "Something is seriously wrong here. Who or what are these things?" When she got to their bedroom door, she stopped and listened carefully to make sure their wasn't anything around her. She then slowly and carefully opened their door to make sure it was clear. "No one here." she said to herself. By this time her heart was racing and sweat was beginning to drip from her face. "Next stop, dining hall." When she arrived a few minutes later, she noticed the door was open. "Looks clear." she thought to herself as she walked in. Just then Matthieu and Hilda in their mummy and ghoul costumes popped up from behind the kitchen counter and dived after her, forcing her to scream once again and run out of the room towards the hangar.

"Did you see that?" Matthieu laughed. "It was hilarious!"

"Yeah it was. Now it's up to Holland and the rest of the gang for the last step before we spring the big surprise on her." Hilda replied.

"Have to get out of here and get some help." said Eureka as she ran towards the hangar after she avoided the giant ape attack and the pirates who tried chasing after her. When she reached the top of the hangars stairs, Holland in his ninja costume stealthily got behind her and grabbed her, causing her to kick and scream. Just then the ships lights came back on and everyone said "Happy Halloween!" from the hangars floor.

"What the…" said Eureka.

"You just survived your first haunted house my dear daughter." said Holland as he removed his mask. "I hope we didn't scare you too bad."

"I almost passed out a couple of times, but I'm ok."

"That's good."

"Where's Renton?"

"Downstairs with everyone else."

"Was he in on this?"

"Yep, but don't hurt him for it."

"I won't dad. I know he was just trying to have fun."

"That's good. Now come on, we have a party to throw."

"Hey Hap, how did it feel to be the first one to scare Eureka?" asked Talho a little bit later on during the party.

"It was hilarious, but mean. I hope she doesn't hold a grudge against us."

"Nah, she'll be fine. I'm sure of it."

"That's good. Where is she anyways?"

"She was talking with Julia and Nadia the last I saw."

"Probably plotting her revenge with them." Hap chuckled.

"You had better hope not."

"Well Eureka, how did you enjoy your first Halloween?" asked Nadia.

"It was fun, other than the haunted house part of it."

"Do you plan on getting Renton or the others back for it?" asked Julia.

"I may ignore Renton a bit just to rile him up, but that's it. I love him too much to do anything else to him. The others are fine."

"Sounds like me with Hap." Nadia giggled.

"Anyways, where is Renton?" asked Julia.

"He was with Steve, Matthieu, and Holland the last time I talked to him."

"Men being men. It's a hopeless battle."

"Especially with Steve." Nadia giggled.

"Yeah, especially with… ah, wait!! It's not like that!"

"Sure sounds like it to me. What do you think Eureka?"

"I would have to agree with you." Eureka replied.

"Ok, so maybe I like him a little." said Julia.

"A little?" Nadia replied.

"Ok, I REALLY like him. I'm just afraid to get into another relationship. I was married for a short time once before, but it ended rather badly because of my military career."

"Well you're both in the military, so it should work out for you." said Eureka.

"Doesn't hurt to try." Nadia replied.

"I don't know…" said Julia.

"Come on Julia, it's time to play match maker."

"W-WAIT!!"

"Well Renton, did you have fun tonight?" asked Steve.

"Oh yeah, but I gaurantee I'll be paying for it later."

"How's that?"

"I don't know, but trust me, she will."

"Speaking of that, here comes the posse now." said Holland.

"Put your gaurds up men." Matthieu chuckled. "They're here."

"I heard that Matthieu." said Nadia.

"Uhhh, ahhh…."

"Don't worry, I'll have Hilda deal with you later."

"Great…."

"Anyways, we came here for Steve."

"Me?" Steve replied.

"Yep!" said Eureka. "Go ahead Julia."

"Ahh, ok." Julia replied. "Uhh, Steve, can we… uh… go talk somewhere?"

"Uhh, sure… I guess. See you in a bit guys."

"What was that all about?" asked Holland.

"I think the girls are playing match maker again." Renton replied.

"Oh brother. Here we go again."

"Tell me about it." Renton chuckled.

"Watch it Renton. Your wife may ignore you a lot longer this time around." said Nadia.

"And that's bad how?" he laughed.

"Renton Thurston, you best behave yourself. You're in enough trouble already." Said Eureka as she hugged him.

"Oh really? Try me dear." he replied after he gave her a gentle kiss.

"Ahh, the princess and her knight in shining armor. How cute." said Hilda as she came to the buffet table.

"Hey, gotta love us." said Renton.

"Yeah, we do. Where's Felicity at?"

"Gidget wanted to see her, so she's got her for the time being."

"I see."

"By the way, I heard of you and Matthieu's engagement earlier. Congratulations."

"Thanks you guys."

"Anytime Hilda."

"Anyways," Holland replied. "Enough of all this jabbering. Let's go have some fun!"

"OK!" they all replied.

By the end of the evening, everyone had what they finally called a "Ghoul" of an evening. Holland and Talho happily invited everyone to stay the night afterwards on the ship to recover from the festivities. John, Julia, Steve, and Jurgens all slept in the lounge on extra beds that had been set up for them. Diane stayed in Gidgets room with her on an extra bed that had been set up for her while Axel stayed in a room set up for him. Renton and Eureka were able to put Felicity in Stephens room in a mobile play pen crib so that she was within an ear shot of Holland and Talho, which was a great comfort to them.

"Talk about a party! That was awesome!" said Renton as they began to change into their night clothes.

"I enjoyed myself too other than the haunted house." Eureka replied.

"Oh come on! Are you still mad at me about that?"

"I still think you should have told me."

"I couldn't! Your mom would've killed me!"

"Still."

"Eureka…"

"Ha! Gotcha dear!"

"You little sneak!" he laughed as he playfully tackled her onto their bed and kissed her. "What am I going to do with you?"

"That's what you get for tricking me."

"Ok, but I still got you better than you got me."

"Not to worry, I still have plenty of chances to get even with you."

"I guess I'll have to watch my back more often."

"Yes you will my dear husband. Now will you please let me finish getting changed?" Just then Renton noticed Eurekas half naked body. The curves of it and the feel of her skin still entranced him. Her recovery after having Felicity was amazing. She looked like nothing had ever happened during those nine months. She was truly the love of his life. "What's the matter Renton?" she asked while he stared at her.

"Nothing." he replied. "It's just that you're still as beautiful as ever, my dear Eureka.

"Hey, Renton." said Eureka gently. This was the time she had been waiting on for a while now, a time where she could once again become one with her husband.

"Yes Eureka?"

"Make love to me."


	29. True Blue

-1Chapter 29- True blue

The next morning when Eureka woke up, she could still feel the warmth of Rentons body up against her bare skin. She just smiled and sighed gently as she remembered the night that they had shared with one another. They had spent most of the evening together making slow passionate love to each other. Every gentle kiss, every touch of skin was a precious memory of that night to her. As she layed there with her eyes closed fully relaxed and comfortable, Renton began to gently stir and wake up. Gently he tightened his embrace on his wife, never wanting to let her go. She just smiled and turned to face him, her chest against his and their legs crossing each other. She then gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead, causing him to open his eyes and look at her.

"Hi." he said gently.

"Good morning." she replied.

"How are you?"

"Wonderful. How about you?"

"I'm well. How did you sleep?"

"Very well thank you. I really enjoyed my time with you last night."

"So did I. So what should we do today?"

"I don't know. I'm just enjoying my time with you right now."

"Yeah, so am I. Are you hungry at all?"

"A little. How about you?"

"Somewhat."

"What should we do for breakfast?"

"I'm not sure yet." he replied as he began to run his fingers over her body. "I can think of one thing I want though."

"Oh really?" she said gently. "And what's that?" Renton just gave her a warm smile and a passionate kiss before making love to her one more time before they began their day.

"Holland, can you get Stephen? I'm busy with Felicity." said Talho.

"Can't you handle both?" he replied. "I've got other things I've got to do."

"No I can't. Now hurry up!"

"Are you sure?"

"Holland Novak!! You have got to the count of three to get your scrawny butt in here!"

"Ok I'm coming!" he yelled from their room. "Geez, I'm trying to get this bird back in the air for christs sake!"

"Yeah and I have four kids I have to get to school, so what's your point?"

"Man, what's with the mood swings all of a sudden?"

"I'm not having mood swings. I just need your help."

"Ok, if you say so."

"Morning mom." said Eureka from in behind them.

"Hi dear." Talho replied.

"Hey Eureka." said Holland.

"Hi dad. How are you?"

"Keeping busy as always. Where's Renton?"

"In the kitchen making us breakfast, so I'd thought I'd check on Felicity while I was waiting."

"Can you take her then?" asked Talho. "I have to get the kids to school."

"Sure mom. Go on ahead."

"Thanks, I owe you one." Talho then gave her a quick hug before heading towards the hangar.

"Is mom ok? She's acting strange."

"I don't know." Holland replied. "The last time she was like this was when she was pregnant with Stephen."

"Dad, you don't think…"

"I don't know. But I think it's time I had a little talk with Mischa to see if she knows anything."

"ooh, my head." said Julia as she woke up. "Where am I?"

"Good morning to you too." Steve chuckled. "How are you doing?"

"I feel like I've been hit by a bus."

"I see. You did have quite a bit to drink last night."

"Are we still on the Gekko?"

"Yep. Jurgens and John left earlier. They told me to tell you to take the day off."

"Good. I could use it right now. Have you got any asprin at all?"

"Nope, but I'm sure you can ask the ships doctor for some."

"Good. Why are you still here?"

"I took the day off too."

"You did?" she asked while blushing slightly.

"Yeah. I figured why the hell not you know?"

"Yeah, I guess. What do you plan on doing today?"

"I was thinking of hanging around here to see how these guys work."

"Well, what do you think about going out for breakfast?"

"You mean me and you?"

"Sure. Is there a problem with that?"

"Nope. Let's get going then. I'm hungry."

"Don't worry Holland." said Mischa a little bit later. "She had a test ran on her and it came out negative."

"It did eh?"

"Yes it did. But sometimes those tests can be inaccurate. So I told her we'd run another test in a few days. Why, are you worried?"

"No I'm not Mishca. If she is pregnant, I'll still be happy for us."

"Good. I'll let you know in several days ok?"

"Alright. Thanks Mischa."

"Renton, is breakfast ready yet?" asked Eureka as she walked into the kitchen.

"Just about. I made a bottle for Felicity also."

"Thanks dear."

"How is our little girl anyways?"

"She's fine."

"That's good. Are the kids off to school?"

"Yep. Talho has that taken care of."

"That's good. And Breakfast is now ready."

"Alright." Eureka replied as she fed Felicity. "What did you make?"

"Pancakes, toast, eggs, ham, and oj."

"Sounds good dear. Thank you."

"Sure dear, now let's eat."

As the day after Halloween progressed, everyone slowly and surely recovered from the festivities. Steve and Julia ended up staying out the entire day, Renton and Eureka stayed aboard the ship, Holland pretty much avoided Talho since he knew what was going on, and everyone else did their day to day activities and routines. And since Eureka was on board, Holland began her training for the day she would take over as captain. Renton watched Felicity for the day while she did this and Anemone took Stephen for the day.

"Now Eureka, do you understand the basics of what I've told you today?" asked Holland that evening. "I know I drilled all of this information into you today, but I just want to make sure you know what to do when the time comes that you take over this ship."

"I understand dad, don't worry. I know it'll be a lot of work, but I'm sure I can handle it. I promise I won't let you down."

"I know you won't Eureka. You haven't let me down yet since I've known you, and I don't think you'll start now."

"No I won't. I'm sure of it dad."

"Good. Are you and Renton planning on staying on the ship for the next six to seven months since you're here?"

"I'm not sure. I'd hate to pull the kids out of school again. We just got them back in."

"That's understandable. Why don't you have Axel watch them again?"

"I could, but I don't want to leave them like that. We've been doing so well with them so far."

"That's fine. You know enough to run the ship, so if you want to stay home with the kids until the time comes, you know you have that choice."

"Thanks dad. I think we'll do that."

"Ok. But we do have to get back to work here. We've been off too long already. We'll come back for you when the time comes."

"That's fine. Thanks for understanding me dad."

"Hey, you're a new mother, so I understand how you feel. Just make sure you take care of yourselves while we're gone."

"We will. What about Anemone? She can't fight for much longer either."

"That decision is up to her. We'll let her make that when the time comes."

"Ok dad."

"What do you mean you don't want me on the Venturion?!" yelled Anemone. "Don't you think you should have talked to me first before making that decision?"

"I'm sorry Anemone." said Dominic. "But I just don't want you out there anymore at this time."

"Why not?"

"Anemone, we have two children to worry about! I don't want you risking your life or theirs!"

"I'm fine Dominic! I'm only at four months! I can handle being out there just a little bit longer!"

"NO ANEMONE! I can't let you do it!"

"HEY!! You don't EVER tell me what to do! I'm your wife for heavens sake!"

"That may be, but I still out rank you in the military! So consider this an order!"

"We're not on the Izumo Dominic! This is a whole different ship with different rules!"

"I don't care! I don't want you out there! That's final!"

"You can't do that Dominic!"

"I already did. I had the Venturion put on lockdown on the Izumo. Me and Jurgens are the only two who can get at it."

"HOW COULD YOU?!" she yelled in his face. Anemone then turned and stormed towards their bedroom door.

"I did it because I love you!"

"No you didn't. You did it for your own satisfaction." she then left their room and headed towards the hangar.

"Anemone." said Dominic quietly after she left.

"Ready to head home Renton?" asked Eureka the next morning.

"Yep, all set. Let's go home."

"Ok. Talho will be dropping the kids off later."

"Sounds good."

"Alright. Nirvash heading out!" and they raced off the Gekko and into the skies over Bellforest. As they were flying along, Renton heard whimpering in the back seat.

"What was that?" he asked.

"I don't know. Is Felicity ok?"

"Yeah. She's sleeping already."

"Hmm, maybe you were hearing things."

"Yeah, you could be right."

"Hey, sis?" said a sad voice. Anemone then came out from under a blanket that she was hiding in.

"Anemone! What are you doing here?!" asked Eureka.

"I had to get away from Dominic and I was afraid you wouldn't let me go with you."

"All you had to do was ask Anemone. We would've said yes to you anytime."

"Thanks."

"But you know the GekkoState is leaving now. They won't be back for several weeks now, maybe more."

"Yes I know. I'll stay at our place since our rent comes out automatically. All I have to worry about is bills and food."

"What about Dominic?" asked Renton.

"I'm not worried about him right now. I'll explain it to you later. Can you just drop me off at home?"

"Sure sis." Eureka replied.

"Thanks. Just don't tell anyone where I'm at ok?"

"We won't, I promise."

"But we have to go back!" said Dominic later on in the day. "I can't find Anemone anywhere!"

"We can't Dominic!" said Holland. "There are several more bases that have popped up that we have to take out in order to slow the rebels down. Orders from the NFA are more important right now."

"But…. I'm no good without an LFO!"

"Yes you are. If you and Anemone are planning on staying on this ship when Eureka takes over, then I have some things we need to train you on."

"But…"

"I'm sorry Dominic. I don't know what kind of problems you and Anemone are having, but you'll have to solve them later. Besides, I'm sure she's just avoiding you and is hiding somewhere."

"I hope so."

"Thanks you guys." said Anemone. "I owe you one."

"Don't mention it." said Renton as he walked Anemone up to her apartment. Eureka had stayed home with the kids when Renton had brought her home. And even though Axel wanted Diane on the ship, she stayed at home with Avriana so Nadia could keep her in school also. "So what do you plan on doing next?"

"I'm not sure. I'll probably try to find a part time job somewhere so I can support myself. I hope that won't be too hard."

"Well, I'll talk to gramps and maybe I can get you a job as a secretary or something like that since our paperwork does tend to get backed up."

"Thanks Renton. I'll owe you one if you do."

"Don't worry about it. It's the least I can do for you."

"You're a great brother, you know that?"

"Hey, I try." he replied as he gave her a gentle hug and a peck on the cheek. "Now, you know where the shop is right?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Good. Be there at nine in the morning. I'll see what I can do for you from there."

"Thanks again Renton for helping me out."

"No problem sis. You take care ok?"

"Thanks, I will." they then gave each other one more gentle hug before Renton went home for the night.

"Eureka, I'm home!" said Renton a little while later.

"Hi dear. How's Anemone doing?"

"Obviously upset but ok. I wonder what happened between her and Dominic?"

"I wish I knew."

"Well it's obvious she still loves him, so I don't think they're separating. But something caused her to leave."

"I'm sure she'll tell us when she's ready."

"I think so too. I told her I'd try to get her a job at the shop as a secretary doing paperwork so she can support herself."

"That's good. I hope you can."

"Me too. Are the kids in bed already?"

"Yeah, they are."

"And how is my little girl doing?"

"Just fine. Want to take her?"

"Of course." he replied as he took Felicity into his arms. Felicity just layed there in his arms and smiled at her father. Renton just smiled back and said "She's such a beautiful little one. Almost too cute for words."

"Yes she is." Eureka replied as they sat next to each other on their sofa. "I'm so glad she's in our lives now."

"Me too dear." he replied. The two then cuddled close to each other and spent the rest of the evening with their youngest daughter.

The next morning, Renton arrived at work and asked Axel about what he could do about helping Anemone.

"Yeah, I could use the help." said Axel. "It would save me a bunch of time. Is she coming today?"

"Yes she is. I told her to be here at nine."

"Good. She can get to work right away then."

"Really? Thanks grandpa!"

"Have Eureka start tomorrow also."

"Say what?"

"She can work here too since it is a family business. I'm sure she wouldn't mind making her own money."

"Who would watch Felicity then?"

"She can be here with her. We'll set up some office space for them and a spot for Felicitys play pen crib in a corner behind Eureka. It should work out fine."

"Awesome gramps! You're the best ever!"

"Yeah yeah. Now get to work on the new office. Use the room next to mine."

"Ok!"

"Good morning Mr.Thurston!" said Anemone as she arrived a little bit later. "Where's Renton?"

"In the office next to mine working on it. He has your desk waiting for you."

"My desk?"

"Yes and you already have a bunch of work to do, so get to it."

"Really? Thank you sir!"

"Don't mention it. And call me Axel. We are family you know. And by the way, you'll be working with your sister starting tomorrow, so don't get too distracted working with her."

"I won't. I promise!"

"Good. Get moving then."

"Right!" she replied happily.

"Eureka, this is Renton, do you copy?" he asked on the radio on his lunch break.

"Hi dear. I copy. Go ahead." she replied a few seconds later.

"I've got some good news for you."

"What's that?"

"You got a job here starting tomorrow!" he replied happily.

"That's great dear! Thank you! But what about Felicity and Anemone?"

"You'll be working with Anemone! And grandpa said you can watch Felicity here while you work. We have a space in you and Anemone's office for Felicitys playpen crib."

"Wonderful dear! Thank grandpa for me."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you too. Eureka out."

"Renton out."

"Hey Holland." said Talho a couple of weeks later. "How is Dominic holding up?"

"Training wise he's doing well and is picking up on things really quick. On another note, I don't think his heart is really into it right now."

"I know. He's been really depressed ever since he found out Anemone left. I wonder what happened between them that would make her do that."

"I wish I knew. He keeps saying that she got mad at him for sending the Venturion out for maintenance, but I think it's way more than that."

"I agree. I'll try talking to him myself later on sometime. Maybe he'll tell me more about what's going on."

"Ok, good luck. You'll probably need it."

"Hey Anemone, here are some more work orders!" said Eureka several days later.

"Alright. Put them here on my desk. Renton brought up some more parts orders for you also."

"Ok. Anything from grandpa?"

"No, but I think he's wondering why business has picked up."

"Do you think your little advertising scheme is working?"

"I think so. I can't believe he never thought of doing something like this before."

"I know. How was Felicity while I was gone?"

"Just fine. She's been sitting there in her crib just playing with her toys happy as can be."

"That's good. She's been a little fussy lately."

"Ahh, that's a typical baby for you."

"How are you doing without Dominic being around?"

"I really miss him. I hope he and the GekkoState come home soon."

"Well it may be several weeks before they do. There was a lot of work out there that they had to catch up on."

"I know. It was my mistake for leaving, but I had to do it for myself. It would've gotten worse if I didn't."

"Want to tell me what happened sis?"

"Sure."

"Hey Dominic, how's everything going?" asked Talho.

"Fine I guess. Just going over some of the training manuals that Holland gave me."

"I see. But listen, can we talk for a minute?"

"Sure. What about?"

"Anemone."

"Oh, I see."

"Listen Dominic, I know what you told us, but I know there's more than that going on. Why don't you tell me?"

"Because I don't want you guys to worry about our affairs. I want us to handle them on our own."

"Dominic, there will always be times when you'll need help in your lives together. We can't help you if you don't let us."

"I know. I just hate admitting that we need help."

"We all do. Now come on, talk to me. Tell me what's wrong."

"Well, ok." he replied after a heavy breath. "Anemone didn't get mad at me for sending the Venturion out for maintenance."

"What happened then?"

"I ordered her not to fight anymore using my military rank and my rational as a husband. I also had the Venturion put back onto the Izumo and put on lockdown. Only me and captain Jurgens can get at it."

"Did you talk to her about doing this before you did it?"

"That was my first mistake. I did all of this before I told her about it."

"But why?"

"I don't want her out there anymore with our kids on the way. It's too dangerous out there for her. I wanted her to stay on the ship where it was safe. That way I knew she would always be safe at my side at all times." Talho just gave him a warm smile as he sat there after he said that. She figured out he was trying to protect his wife and children. He just went about it the wrong way.

"Listen Dominic, you may have thought you were doing the right thing for her, but I think you got a little over protective of her. If you're going to do something like that, talk to her first. Let her know how you feel about the situation. You two need to figure things out together."

"You're not mad at me?"

"No I'm not. You just made a mistake that's very easily correctable justs by talking to her. You can try calling her the next time we need to make a stop."

"When will that be?"

"I'm not sure. I'll let you know when we do ok?"

"Alright. How much longer will we be gone for?"

"We're looking at a few weeks yet, much possibly longer since we're so far behind in our work. But don't worry, we'll get home as soon as we can."

"Ok, thanks Talho."

"Don't mention it. By the way, you can start calling me mom now if you want. You are married to my daughter you know."

"Mom?" he said nervously. Talho just giggled as she left his room and went back to the bridge.

"What's all this?" yelled Anemone the next morning. "My desk was clean when I left it last night!"

"Those are all the new work orders that just came in." said Axel. "I had to call in my friend digger to help now too since we're so busy. Renton and Steve have their hands full also."

"Are those all the parts orders that Eureka has to process and fill?"

"Yep. I have a feeling we might be pulling a late one tonight."

"Great. But yeah, it definitely looks that way."

"We had better get to it then."

"Ok grandpa." she replied. "Man, Eureka isn't going to like this at all." she thought to herself after he left.

"Bye mom!" said the kids as they ran into the school. Eureka loved being able to see her kids off to class now a days. To her it was the best part of her day.

"Bye! Have a good day! See you at the shop when you get off!!" she replied. "Better get to work now. What do you think Felicity?" Felicity just smiled and giggled at her mother as they walked towards the shop. "Yeah, I think so too." she giggled.

"808, you work on their hangars and communications!" yelled Holland over the radio. "606, you handle the hangars also along with the main buildings and ammunition! I'll take care of any rebel resistance that gets in our way!"

"Roger that!" they all replied.

"909, you've got two coming in at your ten!" yelled Hilda in the 808.

"Copy that! Just focus on the base!"

"Roger! Let's go Matthieu!"

"Copy that!" he replied. "Ready to have some fun Dominic?"

"Sure! Let's go!"

"That's just what I wanted to hear. Let's do this!"

"Roger that!"

"Enough you two!" yelled Hilda. "Watch that cross fire!"

"I've got it!" Matthieu replied as he engaged the first of his two boomerang blades. "Now let's see what kind of damage we can do. Dominic, release it now!"

"Roger! Firing now!" and with that the blade went flying, taking out two out of the three gatling guns that the base used. "808, watch that missle fire!"

"Copy that! Thanks Dominic!" she replied as she dodged them. "Releasing defensive screen now!"

"Last turret has been taken out!" yelled Matthieu. "909, how are you holding up?"

"One down, three to go! Just stay focused on the base!"

"Copy that! 808, let's finish this!"

"Right! Get communications and the headquarters! I've got the hangars!"

"Roger that!" he yelled. "Ok, time to take out their communications!" As they flew in, he fired off his boomerang once again at the large radio tower, cutting it down in one clean shot before anyone had the chance to retreat inside.

"Awesome Matthieu!" yelled Dominic.

"That was nothing! Watch what happens to their headquarters!" When Matthieu retrieved his first blade, he then engaged his second one and threw them both, cutting the building in half, causing it to crumble underneath it's own weight. "Man, that had to hurt!"

"No doubt. Now let's go help Holland!"

"Copy that!"

"Dammit! I can't get rid of these guys!" said Holland. "What's going on here?!"

"We're coming leader!" yelled Matthieu as they flew in towards the battle.

"Good! Take the two to your right! I've got the one to my left!"

"Roger that!"

"Don't forget me!" said Hilda. "The base has been leveled!"

"Copy that 808! We're now head to head with these guys. Let's finish them off and go home!"

"Sounds good to me!"

"Me too!" Dominic replied.

"Roger that!" yelled Holland. Twenty minutes later after an intense and highly difficult battle, the rebel forces were finally forced back and defeated.

"Good job everyone." said Holland afterwards. "Now let's go home. I'm tired."

"Roger that." they all replied. Ten slow minutes later, the small crew of four finally got landed and secured back onto the ship.

"Hey everyone." said Nadia as they climbed out of the LFO's. "No injuries to report right?"

"Correct." said Holland. "Just tiredness and hunger pains."

"Sounds good. I have lunch waiting for you in the dining hall."

"You do?" asked Hilda.

"Yep. Someone has to cook lunch around here since Renton and Eureka aren't, so it might as well be me."

"Thanks Nadia." Holland replied. "Go eat everyone. Go to your rooms and rest afterwards. You deserve it."

"Eureka, I've got some more parts orders that need to be processed and filled!" said Renton.

"Put them over here on my desk dear."

"Ok. How's it going so far today?"

"We're swamped. Looks like it'll be a late night for us."

"Wow, looks like you'll be late for sure."

"Yeah…"

"I wonder how it got this busy? It was pretty quiet before hand."

"I'm not sure dear." she replied nervously, trying to keep Anemone's advertising plan a secret. "But you had better get back to work."

"Alright. See you soon." they then gave each other a loving kiss before going back to work.

"Hey papa, when is momma coming home?" asked Linck later that evening.

"I don't know son. Your grandfather has kept both of us busy lately."

"Will she be home soon?"

"She should be. She didn't have much work left to do when I left."

"Ok."

"Hey dad, my light bulb blew!" said Maeter from her room.

"Be there in a second!" he replied. Right after he said that, Eureka walked in the door.

"Momma!" yelled Linck as he ran up and gave her a hug.

"Hi Linck!" she replied with a warm smile and a hug back. "Have you been behaving yourself?"

"Yes Momma!"

"Good. Go get ready for bed then. I'll be there to tuck you in shortly."

"Ok Momma."

"Hi dear." Said Renton. "How'd it go tonight?"

"Tiring, but we're caught up for now. Did everything go well tonight?"

"Yeah, just fine."

"Daaaad, my light bulb!!" Maeter yelled.

"Coming!" he replied. "Except for that. Sorry, duty calls." Eureka just gave him a warm smile and a gentle kiss before going and tucking the kids into bed. After they were done and the kids were settled, Renton and Eureka shut down the house and went into their room for the evening.

"What a night." said Renton as they got into their pajamas. "So how is Anemone doing?"

"Unfortunately she broke down again today. She misses Dominic so much that it's getting hard for her to do anything."

"I wish we could help her somehow."

"Well, I invited her to stay with us for a few days to try to make her feel better. I hope that's ok with you."

"That's perfectly fine. Hopefully it'll ease her lonliness a bit."

"Lonliness?"

"Yeah. It's a feeling you get when you aren't around someone you love."

"Oh yeah, like that time when you left the Gekko."

"Yeah, that's it." he chuckled nervously.

"Hey, Renton."

"Yes Eureka?"

"Will you promise me that you'll never leave me like that again?" Renton just gave her a warm smile and said "Eureka, I promise that I'll never leave your side again. You have my word." She just smiled, gave him a gentle kiss, and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Hey Dominic!" said Talho as she knocked on his door the next day.

"Come in!"

"Hey, I got some good news for you." she said as she walked in.

"Oh really?"

"Yep. We'll be landing in Alcoa city to restock and refuel, so now you have a chance to try to call your wife."

"Awesome! Thanks Talho!"

"No problem. Here are the numbers to Axels house and garage in case you can't reach her at home."

"But why Axels garage?"

"Just try them ok?"

"Alright, I will. When will we be landing?"

"In a few hours, so get ready."

"Ok. Thanks again Talho."

"Anemone, telephone!" said Eureka several hours later.

"Just a minute!" she replied from Axels office. Several moments later, she returned to their office and picked up the telephone. "Garage Thurston, this is Anemone speaking. How can I help you?"

"_Anemone?"_

"D-Dominic?"

"_Yeah, it's me Anemone."_

"How'd you find me?"

"_Blame your mother. What are you doing there?"_

"I work here now."

"_I see. How are you doing?"_

"Fine I guess. I really miss you though."

"_I miss you too. How are the twins coming along?"_

"They're doing well. They're starting to kick more often."

"_That's good. I talked to your mother about what happened between us, and I realized I was wrong in the way I treated you. I'm sorry about everything."_

"You did it because you loved me, and I should have seen that myself, so I should apologize for that."

"_You don't have to, so don't worry about it."_

"Dominic…"

"_Have you been staying at home then?"_

"Yeah. I'll be staying at Eureka's for the next few nights though."

"_Have they been helping you through everything?"_

"Yes they have. Renton got me the job here and Eureka has been talking me through everything since she works here too."

"_That's great to hear dear."_

"Where are you guys at?"

"_Some place called Alcoa city. We'll be here a day or two for restocking and refueling."_

"I see. When will you guys be home?"

"_Not sure dear. It could be several weeks yet."_

"Oh, really?" she replied sadly.

"_But don't worry, I'm always thinking about you."_

"So am I."

"_Hey, Anemone?"_

"Yes Dominic?"

"_I know I probably don't say this enough, but I love you more than anything in this world."_ Anemone just started crying happy tears and said "I love you too Dominic. Come home soon ok?"

"_I will. I promise. But listen, I had better go help restock the ship. I'll call you again as soon as I can, alright?"_

"Ok. Be careful out there you hear me?"

"_I will. I love you."_

"I love you too."

"_Bye."_

"Bye." she replied and she hung up the phone.

"Did that make your day Anemone?" asked Eureka afterwards.

"Yeah, it did." she said happily as she dried her eyes. "Now let's get back to work. We have a lot of catching up to do."


	30. Love Reunited

-1Chapter 30- Love reunited

"Hey Dominic, hurry up! We've got work to do!" yelled Holland.

"Coming!" he replied as he hung up the phone.

"Leave him alone Holland." said Talho from in behind him. "I told him he could call his wife."

"Not when we have work to do. It could have waited until later."

"You want to know what I think about that?"

"What?"

"THIS!!" she yelled as she slapped him, punched him in the gut, and kneed him in the groin. "Idiot."

"Ahh, is everything ok Talho?" asked Dominic nervously.

"Yeah. Just had to give my husband a little reminder of what a family man should be."

"You sure convinced me." he chuckled.

"Are things with you and Anemone ok now?"

"Yeah, everythings great. Thanks."

"Don't worry about it. How is she doing?"

"Just fine. The twins are progressing well. She's also working at Axels shop with Renton and Eureka."

"Wow. I wonder how she was able to do that?"

"Apparently Renton got the jobs for her and Eureka."

"That's my son in law for you."

"Yeah, I'm proud of him too."

"Well, we had better get to work then. Come on, I'll buy you lunch afterwards."

"Alright. What about Holland though?"

"He'll be fine, won't you Holland?"

"Ow…." was all that Holland could mutter as he layed on the ground from the savage beating.

"Hey Anemone, are you ok?" asked Eureka a little bit later on in the day.

"I'm sorry. I'm just miss Dominic so much now that he's gone. I can't believe we fought like that."

"I understand."

"Has anything like that ever happened to you and Renton?"

"Yeah, once. A long time ago."

"How'd you handle it?"

"Not well. I got depressed, sad, and really lonely. I'd wander around the ship in the sweatsuit he left behind just wondering when he'd come back."

"It got that bad?"

"Yes it did. I jumped ship myself to go look for him myself since I couldn't depend on Holland at the time. When I did that, I was almost captured by Ray and Charles Beams and the federation army."

"What happened?"

"Renton came and rescued me in the Nirvash. When he finally got me in the cockpit, I just held onto him and cried, never wanting to let him go."

"Sounds amazing."

"Yeah, it was. I never left his side afterwards until that one fateful day…"

"When you became the control cluster."

"Yeah. I still can't believe the way Renton rescued me on that day. It was really amazing."

"He did it out of love Eureka. The only kind of love he could give you."

"Yes he did. I'm sure Dominic feels the same way about you."

"And me the same. My heart just aches without him."

"Well you'll be with us for the next few days. I hope it helps ease your lonliness."

"I think it will. Thanks sis."

"You're welcome."

"Hey Holland, what happened to you." asked Matthieu. "You look like hell."

"Don't ask."

"What'd you do? Piss off Talho again?"

"I said don't ask. How's the restocking going?"

"Slow but steady. We should be done tomorrow."

"Good. How about refueling?"

"About three hours. Water should be done in about an hour."

"Ok. Any new rebel reports yet?"

"Negative. Everything has been quiet so far."

"Good. Have Woz and Gidget keep their eyes open for any new reports."

"Can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Talho sent her and Doggie out to run some errands."

"Have Woz watch everything then. He'll have to pull double duty for the time being."

"Roger that."

"What about Nadia and Mischa?"

"Out getting medical supplies."

"Hap?"

"Helping us restock along with everyone else that is here."

"Ok, good. I'll be in our room for a bit. You can reach me there if you need anything."

"Sounds good. See you later."

"Hey Doggie, do you think that was a good idea?" asked Gidget as they walked through town.

"What?"

"Us getting married like that at city hall?"

"I don't see anything wrong with it. I think we've known each other long enough to get married and be together."

"What about our family?"

"What family? The crew?"

"Yeah. We're all one big family Doggie. Shouldn't we tell them?"

"We will in time. Right now I want to keep it between us."

"Oh, ok."

"Listen, let's go finish these errands before it gets dark. We've got a lot of work to do."

"Hey mom!" said the kids the next day as they walked into their mothers office.

"Hi kids! Hi Avriana!"

"Hi Eureka!" Avriana replied.

"How was school?"

"Tiring." said Maurice. "We've got a lot of tests coming up."

"I see. Do you have any homework?"

"Yeah, lots of it."

"Why don't you go to Axels then and get working on it. We'll pick you up later."

"Ok mom. Come on Avriana!"

"Ok!" she replied. "Bye Eureka!"

"Bye Avriana!" Eureka replied.

"Whoa! Don't run kids!" said Anemone as they ran by her in the hallway.

"We won't aunt Anemone!" Maeter replied as they slowed down.

"Good. Make sure you keep it that way ok?"

"We will!" they all replied.

"Wow, they finally called you 'aunt' sis." said Eureka.

"Yeah, I guess they did. It feels nice."

"I guess. Where'd you go anyways?"

"Oh, that. I went to go check on the ads that I put out and got a call."

"About what?"

"Well, Jurgens called and patched me through to admiral Benson. And if I can pitch things right, I might be able to land us a military contract."

"WOW! That's great Anemone."

"I know! I just hope they don't throw any catches at us."

"Are you telling grandpa?"

"Not yet. I'll wait to see what happens first."

"Do you have a meeting with them?"

"Yeah. The Admiral will be arriving here in three days."

"Here at the garage?!"

"No, we're having lunch together to discuss the terms of the contract if I can get us one."

"I hope grandpa doesn't mind."

"Me too. If he doesn't, we may have to hire a few more people."

"Good job sis. Would we be working for the military?"

"No we wouldn't. Just the sector we're in. That's about thirty cities in about four or five jurisdictions."

"That's a lot."

"No kidding. I just hope it works out."

"This new RayOut rocks!!" said Sarah, the middle one with light brown hair.

"Oh come on Sarah!!" said the tall brunette in glasses. "Don't tell me you still have that crush on Renton!?"

"So what if I do! It doesn't hurt anything Katie!!"

"I still think he's kind of weird." said the third girl.

"See? At least Michelle has some common sense." Katie replied. "I mean, he's got four kids now."

"I thought he only had three." said Sarah.

"I think you missed a page. Here, look."

"WHAT?! He has a baby now too?!"

"Told you."

"Ahh, why did he have turn out to be such a family man? It's so _dreamy_."

"Oh brother."

"By the way," said Michelle. "I heard Axel was back in town. Let's go see him!!"

"Ok!" the other two replied.

"Hey Renton, I'm going to take this bike out for a test run. Be back in a few!" said Steve.

"Alright. See you in a bit!" he replied. As Steve pulled out of the lot, three girls walked in. "Can I help you ladies?"

"Renton?" said Sarah.

"Sarah? Katie? Michelle? What are you doing here?"

"Just to visit Axel." Katie replied. "What are you doing here?"

"Working. What else would I be doing?"

"We thought you were on the GekkoState."

"Not at the moment. Me and Eureka are working here until we return to the ship later on."

"Your wife works here too?" asked Michelle.

"Yeah, along with her sister."

"I heard about her in RayOut!" said Katie. "She seems so cool!"

"She's definitely one of a kind yes." Renton chuckled.

"Is your daughter here too?"

"Yep. Eureka has her in the office with them."

"What about the other kids?" asked Sarah.

"They're at grandpas doing their homework."

"So cool!! And yet, so _dreamy…."_

"Uhh, Katie, what's wrong with her?"

"She's had a crush on you ever since you joined GekkoState." she replied.

"_Oh boy, here we go again…"_ Renton thought to himself.

"Are you ok Renton?" asked Michelle.

"Oh, yeah, fine!!" he replied. "Did you girls want to go inside and meet Eureka and Anemone?"

"Sure!" they all replied.

"Hey Eureka, are you all caught up for the night?" asked Anemone.

"Yes I am. How about you?"

"Just about. I have a few more work orders to take care of."

"Alright."

"Hi dear!" said Renton as he walked into their office.

"Hi love." Eureka replied as they kissed each other gently. "How was your day?"

"Pretty good. How about yours?"

"Just fine."

"Good. I have some friends who want to meet you two."

"Who?" asked Anemone.

"Come in girls!" Renton replied. "Anemone, Eureka, this is Sarah, Michelle, and Katie. They're old classmates of mine."

"Nice to meet you!" said the girls.

"You too." Anemone replied.

"Uh-oh, Felicity is crying. Be back in a second dear." said Eureka.

"Ok." Renton replied. A few minutes later, Eureka returned with a calm, happy Felicity in her arms.

"Is that your baby Renton?" asked Sarah.

"Yes it is. Girls, I want you to meet Felicity Rose Thurston."

"She's so cute." said Katie. "She looks just like you Eureka."

"Thank you. I get that a lot." Eureka giggled.

"How old is she?" asked Michelle.

"A little over a month and a half."

"She's so adorable! I can't stand it! I'm so happy for you two now."

"Thank you Michelle. We're really happy too."

"What's the matter Sarah?" asked Anemone. "You look upset."

"Oh, don't mind her." said Katie. "She's had a crush on Renton ever since he joined the GekkoState when he was fourteen."

"Oh really now?"

"Yep. It's kind of sad really."

"SHUT UP KATIE!" said Sarah. "It's not like I'm that Nadia girl! I would never go that far!"

"Thank god for that." Renton replied. "I'd hate to be in that situation again."

"I agree." said Eureka. "But luckily Nadia turned out to be a nice lady and a wonderful mother as well."

"Oh yeah! I read about that!" said Sarah. She then opened up her RayOut magazine to a picture of Nadia, Hap, and Avriana. "Are they getting married?"

"It's too early to tell yet." Anemone giggled. "They're just dating for now."

"Too cool! Hey, are you pregnant Anemone?"

"Yes I am. I'm about five months in."

"What are you having?" asked Katie.

"Not sure yet. All we know is that we're having twins."

"That's awesome! I can't wait to see them in RayOut!" Anemone just giggled and said "Yeah, I can't wait until they're here also."

"Where's your husband?" asked Michelle.

"He's on the ship. They're out battling rebels right now."

"Why aren't you with him?"

"That's a long story Michelle. But don't worry, we're fine."

"That's good to hear."

"Anyways, we had better close up for the night ladies." said Renton. "I'll hitch a ride home with Steve and pick up the kids. I'll see you and Anemone at home in a little bit. I'll try to have supper ready when you get there."

"Ok Renton. See you in a bit." Eureka replied as he left.

"You two seem so happy together." said Katie.

"We really are. Renton has been a great husband and a wonderful father. We're truly blessed being together." Eureka replied as she tried to file her paperwork away for the night.

"Let me help. Having a baby in your arms must make it tough to do that."

"Thank you Katie. Having Felicity is a handfull, but I love having her around."

"Can we help too?" asked Sarah.

"Sure." said Anemone. "I have two piles you can file while I finish these ones here in front of me. They go in the two file cabinets behind me in alphabetical order."

"OK!" Sarah replied happily.

"And if any of them don't have names on them, give them back to me and I'll take care of them tomorrow."

"Alright." said Michelle. "Thanks for letting us help you. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. We love making new friends." The three girls just smiled at each other and giggled. They knew that they had just made two new friends for life.

The next day, the GekkoState was back in the air and hard at it once again. Word had gotten out that they were near rebel territory, so the rebels had tried to take advantage of the situation.

"909, we've got them on radar now." said Hilda in the 808. "Contact in two minutes."

"Right, I've got them. Six ahead, a little to our left. Matthieu, you jump ahead and flank them on the right. Hilda, you go up the middle. I'll try to flank them to their left from above."

"Sounds like a plan to me. See you there!!" Hilda then fired her boosters and went on ahead. Holland and Matthieu then split up and went in their opposite directions, hoping to surprise the rebels.

"Leader, they seem to have split up. Two have left our radar and one is heading at us head on. What should we do?"

"Sounds like they're trying to flank us. Two of you head to the right, the other two to the left. Me and 0026 will take the middle.

"Roger." they all replied.

"Hey leader, looks like they're on to us!" said Matthieu.

"Yeah, I've got'em Matthieu. I'm heading farther back behind them out of their radar range. You and Hilda engage now!"

"Right, we're on it! Let's go honey!"

"I'm with you all the way Matthieu!" Hilda replied.

"0026, you and me take on the first two! 0017, 29, 06, and 10, try to find the last one!

"Roger 01. Heading out now!" said 06.

"Hilda, fire now!" yelled Matthieu.

"Roger! Engaging now!" she said as she and Matthieu flew in. As she fired, the two units split up, one heading right while the other dived below her, trying to get to her rear. Unbeknownst to the one on the right, he was heading right into Matthieu's trap. Hilda herself quickly turned back and dived back down after the leader, firing as she went.

"Man, this guy is good!" said the rebel leader as he narrowly missed and dodged her fire.

"This isn't no man you're fighting!" Hilda replied. She had decided to get on the rebels frequency to play with them and try to break their concentration.

"A woman eh? This ought to be easy then you little federation wench!!"

"Oh really? Try me you no good rebel slime ball!" His reaction to her response quickly clouded his mind with rage, letting his anger get the best of him. Quickly he fired his missles at her, not even bothering to lock on to the incoming 808. "Launching defensive screen now!"

"Where in the hell did she go?" the leader yelled after the missle fire. "I can't see through all this smoke!"

"I'm right here!" Hilda yelled as she fired from above him. Her laser cut right through the middle of the unit, causing it to explode in a brilliant pink burst. "Leader is down! Mathieu, what's your status?"

"Second unit disabled! He didn't even know what hit him."

"Good job! Let's go find Holland!"

"Right with you!"

"0026 and 01 have disappeared off the radar!" said 06.

"Roger 06, I see that." said unit 17. "Just keep an eye out for that federation unit! He's around here somewhere."

"Roger that." he replied. As the four units flew along, two of them were suddenly hit, their boards and weapons disintegrating.

"Units 29 and10 have been disabled and taken out!" said 06.

"Roger that 06! Where is this guy?"

"Unknown sir! Two other federation units have shown up on the radar!"

"Crap! That's three against two. Combat is useless! Retreat from the area!"

"Roger that!" the two remaining units ignited their boosters, pulled up, and left the area.

"Remaining units are retreating and leaving the area!" said Hilda. "Rebel resistance has cleared."

"Roger that Hilda." Holland replied as he came out of the clouds from a distance. "Good job guys. Let's go home."

"Right with you leader!" said Matthieu.

"How'd everything go?" asked Talho after they returned.

"Pretty well." said Hilda. "Other than their leader calling me a wench. I showed him a thing or two."

"I sure hope so."

"Hey Talho, can we talk for a minute?" asked Holland.

"Sure dear. See you two at dinner ok?"

"Sounds good. See you later!" Matthieu replied as they left the hangar.

"So what's wrong Holland?"

"Did you ever go and get that second pregnancy test done yet?"

"No I haven't." she replied in a solemn tone. "We've been so busy around here that I haven't been able to do anything."

"Are you afraid?"

"No, it's just I…." before she could finish what she was saying, Holland took her into a tight embrace and gave her a passionate kiss. When he released his lips from hers, he said "Don't be afraid Talho."

"But Holland…"

"Listen Talho, I know you may feel like we're not ready for another child, but if you are pregnant, I want to go through it with you."

"Holland, we don't have the room for another child."

"Yes we do."

"Where?"

"You know that house I told you about with the four bedrooms and the downstairs finished basement for Anemone and Dominic?"

"Yeah, why?"

"While you weren't around, I bought it."

"You what?"

"I bought it Talho. It's all paid for."

"Holland…thank you."

"For what? I only invested in our future together."

"I know, that's why I love you. You always seem to surprise me in one way or another."

"Hey, I try. Now how about we go get that test done?"

"But what if it comes out negative again?"

"I won't care. We'll just try again whenever you want to."

"Hey, Holland?"

"Yes Talho?"

"I love you."

"I love you too Talho. Now let's go."

A little while later during dinner with the rest of the crew, Nadia came in with the final results of Talho's test.

"Hey Nadia, what's up?" asked Hilda.

"Talho, Holland, I have your test results."

"What test?" asked Gidget.

"A pregnancy test Gidget." Talho replied. "So what are the results?"

"Are you ready?" Nadia asked.

"Yes we are Nadia."

"I'm sorry. It's still negative."

"I see. Thank you Nadia."

"Sure. I'll be around if you want to talk."

"Thanks Nadia. I may do that."

"Alright. I'll be in my room if you need me."

"Ok." Talho replied sadly.

"Are you ok Talho?" asked Hilda.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks Hilda. Hey Holland, you said we could try again right?"

"Sure. Just let me know when."

"Can we soon?"

"Whenever you want Talho."

"Thanks."

"I'm sorry Talho. I wish it could have been postive for you." said Gidget.

"Thank you Gidget. We're going to try again though. I'm ready to extend our family."

"I'm happy for you guys. I wish you the best." Hilda replied.

"Thanks Hilda." said Holland.

"Hey, Holland, can we head back to Bellforest?" asked Talho.

"Sure, but what for?"

"I want to see our new house. I haven't seen it yet."

"Ok, we can do that for you."

"Thanks. And besides, I want to see my girls again."

"That's fine. Doggie, can you set our course?"

"Sure." he replied.

"Thanks. How long do you think it'll take?"

"Not sure. Two, maybe four days max if we have to stop and refuel. Maybe longer if we run into any rebel resistance."

"Can we do a trajectory flight at all to save time?"

"We could, but we'll only gain a day at the most."

"Alright then, let's just take a regular flight then. Try to keep us on the high speed leylines."

"Roger that."

"Hold on Doggie! I'm coming with you!" said Gidget.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" said Hilda as she grabbed Gidgets left hand. "What's this?"

"Ahh…."

"Doggie, left hand. Show it now!" Slowly and nervously he raised his left hand, exposing the matching ring. "No way, you didn't."

"We did." he replied as he went over to his wifes side. "We just felt like it was the right thing to do."

"We could've done a wedding for you guys." said Talho. "All you had to do was ask."

"I Know. But we wanted a private ceremony with just me and her."

"Well congratulations to both of you anyways. Of course you realize we'll have to throw a party for you two sometime."

"Thanks Talho." Gidget replied with a giggle.

"You're welcome. Now let's go home. I want to see my new house."

"Hey old man." said Digger the next day.

"Hey Digger. You need something?"

"No, but I did find something interesting."

"What?"

"Since when did you start advertising this much?"

"What do you mean?"

"What in the hell is this?!" he yelled as he looked at the ad in the paper. "I didn't approve this!"

"Well someone did."

"It explains why we've been so busy lately."

"Yeah it does."

"EUREKA!"

"Yes Grandpa!" she replied from the shops top back catwalk.

"Did you know anything about this ad in the paper?"

"No I didn't grandpa."

"Where's your sister?"

"Out to lunch."

"Where at?"

"I don't know. She wouldn't say."

"Alright. I'll just talk to her when she gets back."

"Ok grandpa."

"How's Felicity by the way?"

"Just fine. I just fed her and now she's taking a nap."

"That's good. Get back to work then."

"Ok."

"Admiral Benson, it's good to see you again." said Anemone.

"You too Mrs.Sorrel. I heard you and Mr.Sorrel are expecting twins. Congratulations."

"Thank you sir."

"Call me Jon. This is business, not military."

"Ok Jon."

"Now, we all know how much Mr.Thurstons name and experience proceed him, but the military is a very big undertaking. We don't take the care of our KLF's lightly."

"Yes I know that. I do fly with you guys. Now, I have seen the way that Axel works with KLF's and LFO's, and I must say he's amazing. I've seen him work on my Venturion and I wouldn't trust it to anyone else."

"I realize that Mrs.Sorrel. The next question is can you guys handle all the work?"

"Yes we can. Now per this contract, we'll only be handling a small section of the military for this area, which was about thirty cities in about four or five jurisdictions. We've been doing excellent so far with no complaints or problems. All our work is gauranteed to be excellent, no questions asked."

"I see. What about our cost?"

"That's where we have you guys. Now, I've seen the price you guys pay for parts, and I know we can beat it from anywhere's between twenty five to fifty percent."

"Very impressive. And you can gaurantee that price all the time?"

"Yes we can. Unfortunately I can't say as much for the labor costs, but I'll work on that. We'll still save you a ton overall though."

"Hmm, sounds very convincing. And you're sure you have enough man power to handle the job?"

"Yes sir."

"Well I'll tell you what. Give me a day or two to think it over. I'll give you a call when we make our decision."

"That's fine Mr.Benson. Now what shall we have to eat?"

One hour later, Anemone returned to the garage with a spring in her step and a smile on her face. She pretty much knew she had that contract nailed down.

"Hi grandpa!" she said cheerfully when she walked into the shop.

"Anemone." he replied. "Do you know anything about these ads we have in the paper?"

"Ahh…."

"Now, before I decide to get mad, was my money used for this?"

"No, I used my own. I'm sorry. I was only trying to help." All Axel could do was chuckle as he said "My dear, thank you."

"Huh?"

"You just helped me make the biggest decision in my life."

"I did?"

"Yes you did. I'll be going into retirement soon and all this new business has helped seal that. When that time comes, I'm giving this business to you three kids."

"Really?"

"Yes I am. You guys have already proved to me that you can handle running it, so it's yours."

"Thanks grandpa."

"But do me a favor though."

"What?"

"Next time you do something like this, can you clear it with me first?"

"Sure. In that case I might have some news for you."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah. If things go right, I might be able to land us a military maintenance contract for this area. I'll find out in a day or two if we have it or not."

"I'll leave that to you kids since you seem to know what you're doing."

"Thanks grandpa."

"You're welcome. Now get back to work. We're falling behind here."

"Home sweet home." said Talho that evening as Bellforest came into view on the Horizon. "I hope it isn't too late to call the kids."

"Doesn't hurt to try." Holland replied. "Give it a shot."

"I can't believe Axel is giving us the shop!" said Anemone as she, Renton, and Eureka sat around the fireplace.

"I know!" Eureka replied happily. "But remember, we have to get past the war first."

"Don't remind me. I'm still excited about it though."

"So am I." said Renton. "I know I wanted to have my own business sometime, but this takes the cake." just then the radio in the living room went off.

"_Thurstons, this is the GekkkoState. Do you copy?"_

"What's the Gekko doing back already?" asked Eureka.

"I don't know dear. Let's find out." Renton replied as he went to the radio. "Gekko, this is Renton. Go ahead."

"_Hey, I didn't think you guys were up."_said Talho.

"Yeah, we are. What are you doing back so early?"

"_We have some things we have to do. Will you guys be up for a bit?"_

"Yeah we will be. We're just sitting here in front of the fireplace. The kids are already in bed."

"_That's fine. Keep that fire warm for us. We'll be there in about thirty."_

"Roger that. And make sure you bring Dominic. I'm sure his wife wants to see him."

"_Copy that. Gekko out."_

Thirty minutes later as planned, the familiar sounds of an LFO were heard outside of the Thurston residence. Renton, Eureka, and Anemone stood in the doorway as Holland, Talho, and Dominic climbed out of the 606.

"Mom, dad!" said Eureka.

"Hey girls!" Holland replied.

"Dominic!" yelled Anemone.

"Anemone!" he replied as they ran towards each other. As soon as the two were in each others arms, tears of happines could be seen on Anemones face. "Don't ever leave me like that again Anemone."

"I won't if you promise me the same thing."

"You've got a deal." he replied. The two then gave each other a passionate kiss before going inside.

"So what's going on Talho?" asked Renton as they settled in.

"Well, your father in law surprised me by buying us a house here in Bellforest. I'm looking at it for the first time tomorrow."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks Renton." Holland replied. "We want all of you guys to come with us tomorrow to look at it."

"I think we can do that. What do you think Eureka?"

"Sure dear. I'd love too."

"Excellent. I'll pull out the inflatable beds then."

"Why?" asked Dominic.

"Because," said Eureka. "you're all staying with us tonight."

The next morning after calling Axel and the school for the kids so they could get off, the small family group arrived at the new home of Holland and Talho Novak, five thirty one North Hillside Road.

"Welcome home Talho." said Holland as he unlocked and opened the door. When everyone walked in, they were met by a huge grand entryway.

"Holland, are you sure you didn't buy us a mansion?" asked Talho.

"Nope, but it sure feels that way. I hope you like it."

"I love it. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now you, Renton, Eureka, and the kids go ahead and look around. Dominic, Anemone, follow me."

"Ok." Dominic replied as they parted off. "Where are we going Holland?"

"I'm going to show you the basement."

"Why?"

"You'll see." he said as he led them to the basement door and took them downstairs.

"What are we looking at?" asked Anemone when they reached the bottom.

"This." Holland replied as he turned on the lights.

"WOW!" Anemone yelled. "This is bigger than our place!"

"No doubt." said Dominic. "It's beautiful down here. Whoever had this place knew how to take care of it. It's like a whole other home down here."

"It even has two bedrooms!" said Anemone.

"Well, the one room is actually an office." said Holland. "But it could be easily used as a bedroom."

"And look at the bar!"

"It is nice." said Dominic. "But why did you want to show us this?"

"Because," said Holland. "We want you two to live here with us. You guys will have your room, a nursery, and a living room. Everything else will be upstairs, so we'll be one big family living together."

"Are you sure dad?" asked Anemone.

"Yes we are. This part of the house is yours. We wanted you two to have someplace bigger than your small apartment for the twins, and this fits the bill quite nicely. So what do you say?"

"I'd love to Dominic." Anemone replied. "What do you think?"

"I'm just afraid we'd be intruding." he replied.

"You're not." said Holland. "This is a bonafide invitation."

"Well, since you put it that way, we'd be honored."

"Good, that's what we wanted to hear. Now let's go meet up with the others."

"Mom, this house is beautiful!" said Eureka.

"I know! I even think your daughter approves. She keeps reaching for everything." Talho giggled. "Even the kids do. Look at them play in the yard! It's huge!"

"Hey everyone!" said Anemone. "How was the rest of the house?"

"It's gorgeous." said Renton. "How was the downstairs?"

"Wonderful! It's like a whole other house down there."

"That nice eh?"

"Yep."

"And there's some good news that goes with that." said Dominic.

"Oh really?" said Renton.

"Yes. The downstairs is just like our apartment, but a whole lot bigger. Since we don't have much room at our place for the twins when they arrive, Holland and Talho asked us to live with them."

"Yep." Anemone continued. "It's really a great arrangement."

"I'm happy for you." said Eureka. "You've really got a nice home here."

"Yeah, we all do." said Holland. "You, Renton, and the kids have a wonderful home, and now we do for our family."

"And our future family." Dominic replied. "Thank you."

"You're welcome Dominic. We're happy to have you guys here with us." said Talho.

"I'm happy for one other thing." said Anemone.

"And what's that?" Anemone just clung onto her husbands left arm and said "My reunited love with Dominic."


	31. A New Leader

-1Chapter 31- A new leader

"Hey Holland, do you know where our dishes are?" asked Talho as they moved into their new home.

"Not sure. They're probably still in the moving van."

"Ok."

"Have you seen my reffing gear? Me and Dominic are turning the bar into a sports theme."

"It's already in the basement. All you have to do is unpack it."

"Ok, thanks. When are Anemone and Dominic coming in with their stuff?"

"Probably in a little bit. Matthieu, Gidget, Hilda, and Doggie are over at their place helping them move right now."

"Ok. Are you still alright with them living with us?"

"Of course. Since they're using the downstairs office as a nursery, we'll just move the office upstairs in one of the other spare rooms."

"Sounds like a plan to me. Where are Renton and Eureka? I thought they were helping too?"

"I wish. Axel wouldn't let them off, so they had to work. Eureka has to try to cover for Anemone today."

"Double duty eh?"

"Yeah unfortunately."

"I hope she can handle watching Felicity while doing that."

"I think Nadia has her for the day."

"Oh really? That's nice of her."

"Yeah it is."

"Man, this sofa weighs a ton!" said Matthieu. "What'd you do? Pack bricks in it?"

"Sorry Matthieu." Dominic chuckled. "Me and Anemone fell in love with that sofa when we first found it. It has a queen sleeper in it, which is why it's so heavy."

"Go figure." Doggie mumbled as he and Matthieu lugged it downstairs to their moving van.

"What else is there left?"

"Just your desk and a few odds and ends." Anemone replied from the kitchen. "Me and Gidget almost have the kitchen done."

"Ok. I'll go break the desk down now then."

"It's that big?!" Matthieu said from the doorway after loading the sofa.

"It's easy Matthieu. It's a large wall unit that breaks down into several smaller pieces."

"Oh, that works for me then. We should be done in no time."

"Wait Anemone! Let me carry that!" Dominic yelled as she went by carrying a box of dishes. "Those are heavy."

"Easy hon." Anemone giggled. "I may be pregnant but I'm not out of the loop yet."

"Hey, I still have to watch out for you and our kids."

"That may be, just don't try to alienate me."

"I'll try not to." he chuckled. Anemone just smiled and gave him a quick kiss before going back to work.

"You two are so adorable!" Gidget giggled from the kitchen. "You're just like me and Doggie!"

"Nah, we're more unique, but yeah, we are cute when we're together, even though Dominic hates to admit it."

"What men don't?"

"Yeah, you're right."

"Eureka, I have lunch for us!" said Renton as he walked into her office.

"Thanks hon."

"No problem. How are things going today?"

"Ok I guess. It's been hard trying to do my and Anemone's work at the same time, but I'm getting through it."

"That's good. Just do your best. Don't push yourself."

"I won't."

"Is it quiet not having Felicity around?"

"Yes it is. I hate knowing she's not behind me so I can keep an eye on her."

"It'll be alright. Nadia only has her at grandpas with sis."

"I know. How is your and Steve's day going?"

"Keeping busy but not bad. It's slowed down a bit though, so that helps."

"Yeah it does."

"I just wish we could've helped Holland and Talho with their new house. It kind of hurts that we couldn't."

"That's alright. We'll try to help tomorrow."

"That works. Hey Eureka, how about we go out for dinner after work to help you relax? We don't have to do anything special, just nice and simple."

"Sounds nice dear."

"Ok. We'll take the kids with us too. We'll go out as a family."

"That's a wonderful idea. Thank you."

"No problem. I had better get back to work then. See you after work."

"Ok love. Thank you again for lunch."

"No problem dear. I love you."

"I love you too Renton." Renton just replied with a warm smile and a gentle kiss before heading back to work for the day.

The next day as Holland and everyone else continued their housework, a sudden knock came to their door.

"Who could that be?"

"I'm not sure Talho. I'll go find out."

"Ok Holland." when he opened the door, a woman in military uniform was at the door. "Can I help you?"

"Are you captain Holland Novak of GekkoState?"

"Yes I am."

"We have orders from the NFA for you sir. You have to deploy in twenty four hours."

"What are our orders?"

"Tresor has come under heavy fire sir. They are safe at the moment, but need you there soon."

"I see. Alright, I'll go alert my new captain."

"Sir?"

"Well, I just got promoted to commander of the new base being built here, so I have to watch over that as well. My daughter, Eureka Thurston, is the new captain."

"I'm sorry sir."

"Don't worry about it, you didn't know. Thank you. I'll forward these to her right away."

"Roger that. Thank you commander. Have a nice day."

"You too."

"What's going on dad?" asked Anemone.

"Tresor has come under fire from the rebel forces. We just got orders from the NFA to move in and help protect it."

"But we just started moving in!"

"That's why we're not going."

"Say what?"

"This is what we've been training Eureka for."

"You mean…"

"Yes, it's time for her to take command of the Gekko for the first time."

"Are you sure Holland?" asked Talho.

"Yes I am. I believe she can do it."

"I sure hope so dear."

"Me too. Hey Dominic."

"Yes Holland?" he replied.

"This is where your training comes into play also."

"What do you mean?"

"You're heading out too, as second in command of the GekkoState."

"T-thank you Holland."

"What about me?" asked Anemone.

"You'll be staying here. I know you and Dominic just got back together, but we need you here and so does Axel at the shop."

"That's true." she replied sadly. "But alright. At least we won't be separated on bad terms."

"Good. You and your mother stay here. Dominic, you and me will go get Eureka and brief her."

"Yes sir!" he replied.

"EUREKA!" yelled Axel twenty minutes later.

"Yes grandpa!"

"Holland and Dominic are here to see you!"

"Alright! Send them up!"

"OK!" he replied. A few minutes later, Holland and Dominic walked into her office.

"Hey Eureka." said Holland.

"Hey dad. Hi Dominic. What are you doing here?"

"We've got a problem Eureka." said Dominic.

"What problem?"

"Tresor is in immediate danger. We just got orders to deploy within twenty four hours."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"We'll be taking over the Gekko for the first time Eureka as a test run to see if we're up for the job."

"We will?" she asked with a worried look on her face.

"Yes you will." Holland replied. "It'll probably only be for a week or two, but this will test your skills to the max. I have faith that you two can do this."

"Us two? You mean me and Dominic?"

"Yes. I appointed him to be your second in command."

"Oh, ok. Alright then, I'll pull the kids out of school and have them get their future assignments."

"Ok, good. Try to get to the ship right away. I'll head there now with Dominic and brief everyone before you leave."

"Ok. I'll get there as soon as I can."

"Alright. See you there."

Later on in the day, Renton, Eureka, and the kids along with Avriana arrived at the ship ready to go.

"MOM!" yelled Avriana as they boarded the Gekko.

"Hey sweetie!" Nadia replied as she hugged her daughter. "God I missed you. How was school?"

"It was awesome mom! Thanks for letting me go."

"You're welcome. Eureka, Renton, good to see you again."

"You too Nadia." Eureka replied. "Where is everyone else?"

"In the lounge waiting for you."

"Good. Go on ahead and tell everyone I'll be there shortly. We have to get settled in and get Felicity laid down for a nap."

"Ok. Come on Avriana."

"Ok mom!"

Shortly afterwards, Eureka and Renton arrived in the lounge amongst an antsy and patiently waiting crew.

"Hi everyone." said Eureka as they walked in. "I just have a few small things to say." everyone then faced forward to listen to Eureka. "Thank you. Now I know this is my first command of the GekkoState and I can't blame you if you're all scared and nervous about me doing this, for I know I am myself already. But I have faith that all of you can believe in me like I do you. I will try my best as captain here on the Gekko, but if you notice something wrong, please let me know. Now, we won't be heading out until tomorrow morning, so make sure you all get a good nights rest. We'll be leaving at o nine hundred, so be ready by then."

"Roger that!" everyone replied.

"Good. Dismissed."

The next morning, Holland and Talho met Eureka first thing that day before they took off for the first time.

"You guys all set then?" asked Holland.

"Yes we are dad. All systems are set and ready to go."

"Security checks?"

"Complete. Everything is secure."

"Weapons?"

"All set. Weapons are stocked and loaded. Safety locks are on also."

"Supplies and food?"

"All stocked."

"LFO's?"

"Loaded and secured."

"Water and fuel levels?"

"All full."

"Good. Sounds like you have everything covered. Just make sure you be careful out there."

"We will dad."

"You take care of yourself and the others ok?" said Talho as she hugged Eureka. "And come home soon."

"We will mom. I promise."

"Ok, you had better get going then. They're waiting for you."

"Alright. See you soon!"

"BYE!" yelled Talho as Eureka ran up the loading dock and into the ship. Soon after the dock closed, the Gekko slowly taxied to the runway, ignited it's boosters, and was quickly in the air headed towards Tresor. "Well, there she goes on her first mission."

"Yeah, that's our daughter. I'm proud of her for what's she's doing."

"So am I Holland. Now let's go home. We have another daughter who's waiting for us."

"Doggie, how long until we reach Tresor?" asked Eureka a short time later.

"About two days if we don't run into any resistance forces."

"Good. Hap, how are those Trapar counts looking?"

"A little low but good. We shouldn't have any problems."

"Good. Try to get us on the high altitude leylines so we can try to get there faster."

"Roger that."

"Woz, how's the radar?"

"I'm picking up a few federation patrol ships, but that's it so far. We're all clear."

"Roger that. Gidget, anything on communications?"

"Just local traffic. Nothing to report at this time."

"Ok then. I'll be in the dining hall if any of you need anything. I'll be in my room shortly afterwards. Dominic, you're in charge of the bridge for the time being."

"Roger that." he replied. As Eureka was getting ready to leave the bridge to get Felicity a bottle before she woke up, Maeter came running into the bridge.

"Maeter, what's wrong?"

"It's dad! He's not waking up!" Eureka's eyes froze in fear when she heard those words, almost thinking the worst had happened to her husband. Immediately her and Maeter rushed to Rentons side to check on the situation.

"RENTON!" Eureka yelled when she ran into their room. All she could hear was a slight groan out of him as he layed there in bed motionless. "Oh my god, he's got a high fever. Maeter, go get Nadia or Mischa now!"

"Ok mom!" she replied as she ran out of the room. Several minutes later, Nadia rushed into the room with Maeter right behind her. "Eureka, what's wrong?"

"I don't know Nadia. All I know is that he's got a high fever."

"Oh man, it is high. Maeter, go get me some washcloths and some cold water! We have to keep your fathers temperature down!"

"Ok!"

"What do you want me to do?" asked Eureka.

"Just stay with him and keep him comfortable. We'll figure out what's going on in a bit."

"Hey Hilda, what are you doing with Felicity?" asked Matthieu.

"I heard her crying in the nursery, so I thought I'd check on her."

"Where's Eureka?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure she's somewhere on the ship, so I'm not worried about it."

"Neither am I. I just hope she can handle running things."

"Hey, I have faith that she can do it."

"Man, what's that smell?"

"Looks like someone needs to be changed. Want to help?" The look on Matthieu's face went from calm to disgusted as he quickly turned and left Hilda's room. "Looks like he can't handle the pressure, eh Felicity?" Hilda giggled. Felicity just sat there and giggled in Hilda's lap as she played with her toys.

"Well, I got his temerature stabilized, but it's still quite high." said Nadia a little while later.

"What's going on with him?"

"From what I can tell Eureka, it's either a really severe cold or a severe case of the flu. I'll know more about that later. For now let him rest and I'll keep an eye on him for you."

"Thanks Nadia."

"Sure." she replied with a warm smile. "Now go check on your daughter. She's probably crying for you."

"Oh, hey Hilda." said Eureka as she walked into the dining hall.

"Hey Eureka."

"What are you doing with Felicity?"

"Oh, I heard her crying for you in the nursery, so I thought I'd take care of her for you."

"Oh, ok. Was she ok?"

"Yeah. She just needed a diaper change and to be fed. I took care of it for you."

"Thank you Hilda."

"Sure, anytime. Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"No you're not. I've known you long enough to know when something's wrong. What's up?" Eurekas eyes just filled with tears as she fell to her knees and began crying. She knew she had the pressure of being a first time captain on her shoulders, which was bad enough in her opinion, but now she had a severly sick husband to worry about. It had suddenly felt like too much to deal with at one time. "EUREKA!"

"I'm sorry Hilda. It's just with everything I've got going on now is getting to me. I don't know what to do anymore!"

"Well, you can start by telling me what's going on."

"Ok." Eureka replied softly as she and Hilda sat at one of tables. "Well, Renton got extremely sick all of a sudden and we don't know why or what it is yet."

"I see. Is Nadia or Mischa taking care of him?"

"Nadia is."

"That's good. I'm sure you and her can get him better in no time. And I'm guessing being a first time captain suddenly added to the pressure?"

"Yes it did."

"I guess that's understandable. But listen Eureka, I'll help you out whenever I can along with everyone else, even when it comes to watching Felicity so it'll take some of the pressure off. All you have to do is ask."

"Really?"

"Sure. Remember, we are a family here."

"Yeah, you're right. Thank you Hilda."

"You're welcome. Now come on, we have a research facility to protect."

"What's this note?" said Talho as they returned home.

"I'm not sure Talho. Open it up and read it."

_Dear mom and dad,_

_Had to go to work. I have something really big coming up there that I have to take care of. If everything goes right, we'll be going out to dinner tonight on me. Wish me luck!_

_Love,_

_Anemone_

"I wonder what's going on?" Holland asked after she read the note.

"I don't know. Should we go visit the garage and find out?"

"Maybe. I just don't want to ruin anything for her or get in her way."

"We won't. Come on."

"Anemone, telephone!"

"Thanks Digger! Don't disturb me for a bit ok?"

"You got it!"

"Thanks!" she replied as she picked up the telephone. "Garage Thurston, this is Anemone speaking. How can I help you?"

"Mrs.Sorrel, this is admiral Benson speaking."

"Hi admiral. I've been waiting for your call. Do you know what we're doing then?"

"Yes I do. We're accepting your contract, but under one condition."

"Ahh, ok. What's your proposal?"

"I'm sure you'll need a bigger garage to work in along with the men needed, and the federation is willing to take care of that if you move to the military base being built there."

"We can't do that sir. Since we also serve the public, we can't have civilians going in and out of the base. With the way things are going now with the war, it'd be too much of a security risk."

"Hmm, you do drive a hard bargain Mrs.Sorrel, which is why we had a backup plan. Are you familiar with Mr.Thurstons old shop site?"

"Yes I am sir. He's been having a hard time selling that property since you guys destroyed it."

"Ahh, well, yes, and we apologize for that. Anyways with his permission, we'd like to purchase that land, build a new site there, and let you supply the men and whoever you want to run it. How does that work for you?"

"Admiral, you got a deal. And since you're letting me pick out the staff, I'll cut the labor costs by half."

"Excellent. I'll be there tomorrow to sign the papers."

"Thank you sir. You won't regret it."

"I don't think we will either. Have a good day Mrs.Sorrel."

"You too admiral. Bye now." after Anemone hung up the phone, all you could hear was the loudest, happiest scream ever heard in Bellforest.

"Anemone, what's wrong?" yelled Axel as he ran into her office.

"I did it grandpa!"

"Did what?"

"I got the contract!"

"The military one?"

"Yep! Hurry up and go take the for sale sign off your old property."

"Why?"

"Because the military is buying it from you and is building us a new garage there at their expense."

"Congratulations dear. What about this shop?"

"I already have an idea for it. I'll be back in a bit! I have to go tell mom and dad!"

"What was that?" asked Talho as she, Stephen, and Holland were walking along.

"I'm not sure. It was definitely one heck of a scream."

"No doubt. I hope no one was hurt." as they contined to walk along hand in hand, Anemone came flying around the corner and nearly ran into them. "Whoa, slow down Anemone."

"Mom, dad, what are you doing here?"

"We were coming to visit you." said Holland. "Is everything ok?"

"Just great dad! Come on, I'll explain everything while we're out."

The next morning, the crew of the GekkoState was finally near the area of the Tresor facilities. Eureka and Nadia were checking on Rentons condition one more time before starting landing preparations. Hilda in the 808, Matthieu in the 606, and Maurice and Avriana in the Newhope were out scouting the area for rebel activity.

"How is he Nadia?"

"He'll be fine Eureka. Thanks to us for catching that bug early, it was easy to fight. His temperature went down considerably and he's finally awake and talking."

"Thank goodness."

"He'll have to stay in bed another day or two at the least. Hopefully he'll be up and around after that."

"Thank you Nadia for everything."

"Don't mention it. Now let's get ready to land this bird."

"GekkoState, this is Newhope. Currently there is no rebel activity in our sector to report."

"Copy that Maurice. Good job." Hap replied. "Hilda, Matthieu, what's your status?"

"808 reporting. My sector is clear. Nothing to report."

"606 checking in. Same here. Nothing to report."

"Roger that guys. We should be landing in twenty minutes. Come back and stick close by the ship."

"Roger!" they all replied.

"Hap, what's our status?" asked Eureka as she walked into the bridge.

"Everything's clear Eureka. We're good to go."

"Ok. How did the scouting missions go?"

"Just fine. Nothing seen or heard from the rebel forces."

"Good. Gidget, try hailing Tresor. Let them know of our location."

"Roger that." she replied.

"SIR!" yelled communications officer Jackson. "Unknow ship approaching Tresor!"

"Have you identified it?" asked Jurgens.

"Identifying now sir! Identification complete. It's the GekkoState!"

"Holland finally made it. Hail him please."

"Yes sir!" a few moments later, Jackson said "Ok, go ahead sir."

"Thank you. GekkoState, this is Federation battleship Super Izumo. Do you copy?"

"_Izumo, this is GekkoState, go ahead."_ Eureka replied.

"Mrs.Thurston? Where's Holland?"

"_In Bellforest sir. This is my command."_

"I see. Are you aware of the situation?"

"_Yes sir we are. Do we have any orders at all?"_

"Not yet. For now we're on standby doing patrols. Rebel forces have been active to the south, east, and north. We have partial control of the west. A few minor conflicts have been reported, but nothing major yet."

"_Understood. I have three of our LFO's out on patrol right now as we speak. We'll keep them out there as long as we can."_

"Good. We'll do the same also. Izumo out."

"_Gekko out."_

For the next several days, the rebel forces once again ran into heavy opposition against the federation on all sides of their current campaign to finally slow down the NFA and gain an edge on them. As the rebels tried to make their advances towards tresor, they were constantly met up by a wall of ground and aerial troops and KLF's. This soon began to frustrate the rebel leaders, who then tried to flank to the west. That decision turned out to be the deadliest and biggest mistake ever, especially to five little brats known as the "Ageha Squad".

"Captain Jurgens! Several mobile ground units and KLF's have been captured and their occupants taken into custody!"

"Oh really? Who did we get?"

"Ten KLF pilots, a communications specialist, four captains, and five kids."

"Five kids?!"

"Yes sir. From reports, they were very uncontrollable though. Apparently it took a lot to get them into custody. They're in cuffs and shackles as we speak."

"Where are they now?"

"We have them locked up in a prisoner transport truck sir. Currently they're about twenty miles outside of Tresor."

"Have that truck stopped and all prisoners searched for tracking and spy devices. As clever as the rebels are, we don't want them getting any information on us or Tresor. Have four of our KLF units stay with them."

"Yes sir!"

"Good. I'll deal with those kids on my own. Jackson, get the Gekko online."

"Yes sir!"

"Leader, communication from the Izumo!" said Gidget.

"I said you can call me by my name Gidget. You don't have to call me that."

"Sorry Eureka." she giggled. "Force of habit."

"It's alright. Put the Izumo through."

"Ok!"

"Izumo, this is federation battleship GekkoState. Go ahead."

"_Gekko, this is captain Jurgens. First of all, I want to congratulate you on a very successful mission. You did extremely well as a first time captain. Your parents would be proud."_

"Thank you sir."

"_You're welcome. On another note, we may have just captured the Ageha squad somehow."_

"Really?"

"_Yes Eureka. They were in the area for some reason. They just happened to have had really bad timing this time around."_

"I see. Good job sir."

"_No praise needed. Are you heading back to Bellforest then?"_

"Not yet. We'll be here for a few days yet to rest and continue patrols for a bit. We'll be heading home afterwards."

"_Roger that. Alright then, I have to get back to work filing the reports on this. We'll see you again soon."_

"Copy that. Gekko out."

"_Izumo out." _

"Holland, look at this!" yelled Talho the next day.

"What's wrong?"

"Look at todays paper! Looks like they got Ageha somehow!"

"You're kidding!"

"No I'm not! Even our daughter made the front page."

"Wow, what for?"

"Her accomplishments as the new captain of the Gekko."

"Man, I'm not sure if I like the publicity of that. It may complicate things."

"You think so?"

"I don't know. I guess we'll find out as time goes on."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"Anyways, are the thanksgiving preparations set?"

"Yep. All we have to do is get the shopping done."

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"Hey Renton." said Eureka softly as she walked into their room to check on him. "How are you feeling?"

"Hey hon. I'm doing a lot better thanks to you and Nadia. Thank you."

"You're welcome dear. Anything for my husband, you know that."

"Thanks. Geez, it always seems like I'm the one who gets sick or into accidents. I almost feel bad for having you take care of me all the time."

"I don't mind. You did enough for me when I was pregnant with Felicity. Now it's my turn."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"That's good. When are we heading home then?"

"Soon. The crew has had a couple of days rest now. We'll probably take off tomorrow morning."

"Sounds fine to me. Good job on being captain of the ship. You did a wonderful job."

"Thank you dear. I couldn't have done it without everyones support."

"Well I'm still proud of you."

"Thank you sweetie. You hungry at all?"

"A little bit. My appetite hasn't quite returned yet."

"Ok. I'll go make some soup for you. Be back in a bit."

"Ok."

"Hey Holland!" said Talho a couple of days later. "Eureka just called on the radio! They'll be landing in thirty minutes!"

"Alright. Let's go get ready to go then. I just hope my ship is in one piece."

"Funny Holland."

"I thought it was." Talho just giggled, gave Holland a gentle kiss, and said "Come on. Let's go see our daughter."

"Anemone! Come on!" yelled Axel.

"For what?"

"Your sister is almost home! They'll be back in town in about thirty minutes."

"Alright! Coming!"

"Hey Renton, how are you doing?" asked Nadia.

"Oh, hey Nadia. I'm doing fine. Still not a hundred percent yet, but I'll get there."

"Good to hear. Can I check your temperature really quick?"

"Sure."

"Good, it's normal." she said a couple of minutes later. "It's now safe for you to move around."

"Thanks Nadia."

"Sure. Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, go for it."

"Have you noticed anything different about Hap lately?"

"No, nothing out of the ordinary. Are you guys getting along ok?"

"Better than ever. But he's been acting a little, well, quirky lately."

"I'm sure it's nothing, but I'll keep my eyes and ears open for you."

"Thanks Renton. We should be home shortly, so we had better get ready."

"Alright."

"Wow, that was the best landing I've ever seen." said Hilda as she watched Maeter in the bridge. "Almost better than you Doggie."

"Very funny. Ok Maeter, guide it into the hangar carefully now."

"Ok, I will."

"Good job Maeter." said Eureka as she walked into the bridge.

"Thanks Momma!"

"You're welcome hon. Hap, are the final security checks complete?"

"Yes they are Eureka. All systems are set."

"Good. Ken-goh, are the safety locks for the weapons on?"

"Weapons check complete. Safety locks on and all weapons systems have been shut down."

"Roger. Gidget, have Jobs go ahead and shut down the engines. Everyone prepare to disembark."

"Roger that." they all replied.

"Nice landing Doggie." said Talho as everyone left the ship. "That was pretty smooth."

"That wasn't me."

"It wasn't?"

"Nope. That was your grandaughter here."

"Maeter?"

"Yep! It was me!" she replied proudly.

"Wow, we'll make a regular pilot out of you yet." Holland chuckled. "But anyways, come on everyone. Lunch is waiting."

"Lunch?" asked Eureka.

"Yep. It's thanksgiving and we have a big turkey in the oven."

"What's thanksgiving?"

"Well, it's a traditional holiday where you gather around your family and friends and give thanks for the things life has blessed you with around a huge meal."

"Sounds wonderful mom. Let's go."

"Everybody," said Holland later on as they all sat down to eat. "I want to thank you all for joining us here today. I also want to thank you for all the hard work you've done for us. So here's to you. Thanks." he said as he raised his glass.

"Here here!" everyone cheered.

"Also, I want to give thanks for having the best crew that anyone can ask for."

"Thank you dad." said Eureka. "I want to give thanks for the wonderful family I have been blessed with, here at home and on the Gekko."

"Same here!" Nadia replied.

"I want to give thanks to all the friends I have made in my life. Here's to you everyone!" said Hilda.

"Ditto!" Matthieu replied.

"I think we all feel the same way." Jobs replied. "I think there's just one more thing to say."

"And what's that?" asked Talho. Jobs raised his glass and said "Happy thanksgiving everyone!"

"Happy thanksgiving!" everyone cheered.


	32. Christmas Memories

-1Chapter 32- Christmas memories

"Well that was a successful family get together." said Holland as he and Talho were cleaning up. "You did a wonderful job on the turkey."

"Thanks Holland. Not bad for a first timer eh?"

"Not bad at all."

"I know I loved it. Good job mom." said Anemone as she and Eureka brought in dishes from the dining room.

"Thanks dear. Where's everyone else?"

"The men and boys are downstairs watching football and the ladies and girls are in the living room chatting."

"Football and men, go figure. Hey, where's Holland?"

"I think he snuck out on us mom."

"That man I tell you."

"Don't worry mom, we'll help." Eureka giggled.

"Thanks girls. For that you two get the first pieces of pie."

"Hey guys, what's the score?"

"Hey Holland. It's twenty seven to thirty, wolves over the cougars."

"Where are they time wise?"

"Twelve forty five left in the fourth."

"Thanks Renton."

"Hey Holland, shouldn't you be helping Talho?" asked Hap.

"I snuck out when I heard you guys were watching the game."

"It figures. I know you too well Holland."

"Yeah yeah. Now come on. My bets are on the cougars making a comeback."

"You're on. I'm sticking to the wolves."

"Hey girls, what's the topic tonight?" asked Talho as she, Anemone, and Eureka walked into the living room.

"About our men." Nadia giggled.

"Ooh, sounds like fun. Who's first?"

"I'll start first since you asked. What should be the subject?"

"How about their most embarrassing moments?"

"Perfect!"

"_And the cougars come back in an amazing victory to win over the wolves forty to twenty seven! What an upset in this the biggest game of the year!"_

"Aww man! I was hoping for a good win in this game!" said Hap.

"I told you the cougars would make it." Holland chuckled.

"Yeah, whatever."

"Uh-oh." said Renton. "I hear hysterical laughing upstairs. That can't be good."

"Why not?"

"You don't get it do you Hap?"

"Get what?"

"Girls plus laughing means embarrassing or ridiculous stories about us."

"Oh man, I guess I have a lot to learn about how women work." he chuckled.

"We'll never figure them out." Holland replied. "They know as much about us as we do them."

"Oh great."

"So, who's all up for a little shopping spree tomorrow?" asked Hilda. "It's the holiday season and it's time to do some Christmas shopping."

"Christmas?" asked Eureka with curiosity in her eyes.

"Oh yeah, I keep forgetting that you're not much up on holidays. Well, there is a religious side to it, but to keep it simple for you, it's a day almost like today where you gather around your family, maybe have a nice meal, and exchange gifts between one another. It's basically a day of love, sharing, and caring between a family."

"Sounds nice."

"It really is. I'm sure Renton will show you how it works better than I can explain it. Now, who's up to shopping?"

The next morning, commotion could be heard between all the men as news of missing money, checkbooks, and credit cards rang out between all of them. Most of the men were pretty upset, other than Renton. All he did was sit back and laugh at the others. He always kept a stash of money hidden for himself and the family, and now he had a chance to finally use some of it. Since he knew Eureka went out shopping with Talho and the rest of the ladies, he packed up the kids into the Nirvash to do some shopping of his own.

"Hey dad, what are we looking for?" asked Maeter as they walked through a local department store.

"Well Maeter, we're looking for Christmas decorations for the house."

"Decorations?"

"Yep. We'll need a Christmas tree, lights, garland, bulbs, tree skirt, and outdoor lights to hang outside."

"Can we help decorate?"

"Sure Maeter. It's a family tradition to decorate for the holidays."

"Yay!"

"Hey papa, is there anything else we can get?" asked Linck.

"Well, we could get a few gifts for your mother to start. We just have to make sure she doesn't see them."

"Why not?"

"Because she can't have them until Christmas. It'll be the same way when me and your mother get gifts for you kids."

"Cool!"

"Yep. So you kids best behave yourselves or no gifts from santa either."

"Who's santa?" Renton just chuckled and explained the story of jolly ol' saint nick to his kids while they shopped.

"Man, this mall is a zoo!" said Nadia as they made their way through the mess of holiday shoppers. "I've never seen anything like it!"

"Tell me about it!" Talho replied. "It's a madhouse! I wonder how Eureka and Anemone are handling it?"

"I don't know. They're with Hilda and Gidget right?"

"Yes they are. So, what'd you get Avriana?"

"Oh, where do I start? I got her some new outfits, shoes since she's growing so fast on me, dolls since she's getting into those, various other toys, and I was thinking of getting her a bike to ride around on whenever she's here in Bellforest."

"Wow, that's quite a bit."

"Yeah it is. What about you?"

"Basically it's clothes, toddler toys, and educational toys and videos for Stephen."

"What about Holland?"

"Sports stuff and clothes for him. He doesn't really need anything else. Are you doing anything for Hap?"

"Yeah. I'm getting him some computer programs to start. Maybe I'll do the same as you and get him clothes and some sports gear."

"Works for me. Come on, let's do lunch. That food court has been calling my name all morning!"

"Hey Eureka, are you all set yet?"

"Almost Hilda! Be with you in a minute!"

"Ok, no rush! Take your time!"

"Ok!"

"Looks like she's loving all this." Anemone giggled.

"Looks that way Anemone. I've never seen Eureka with such a huge smile before."

"Neither have I. So, what'd you get Matthieu?"

"Cd's, records, just about anything dealing with music since that's his favorite hobby."

"Cool."

"What about you with Dominic?"

"Some nicer clothes and new tools since I know he could use them."

"Sounds nice."

"Yep. I even got him some old war movies that I think he'll like."

"Awesome."

"I'm ready!" said Eureka as she approached them with her hands full of bags. "Lets go eat!"

"Geez, what'd you do? Buy out the entire store?" Hilda laughed.

"Almost." Eureka giggled. "How much longer before Christmas?"

"About a month Eureka, so there's plenty of time to do your shopping."

"Oh, ok."

"Anyways, let's go find your mom, Nadia, and Gidget. They're probably at the food court waiting for us."

"Hey dad, did we get everything?" asked Maurice.

"Yep. Now we check out, load up, go home, and decorate."

"Alright."

"Can you watch your baby sister a second so we can check out?"

"Sure dad."

"Thanks."

"Papa, I'm hungry!" said Linck.

"Me too!" Maeter replied.

"Ok, we'll get something to eat before we go home. What do you kids want?"

"McDoogals!!"

"Ok, McDoogals it is." Renton chuckled.

"Hey guys!"

"Hi mom!" Eureka replied.

"How'd your shopping go?"

"It was fun! Thanks for taking me."

"You're welcome. Did you all find what you wanted?"

"Yes we did." said Hilda. "I think Eureka almost bought out one of the stores."

"Looks that way." Nadia giggled. "Where's Gidget?"

"Probably still shopping. Did you guys eat already?"

"Yeah we did. You can go ahead and get something while we wait for Gidget."

"Ok. Come on girls, lunch is on me."

"Ok." Anemone replied. "I'm hungry for a sub anyways. There's a really good sub shop over on the end there."

"You mean Edwardo's?"

"Yep. Their subs are the best."

"Ok then, that's where we're going. Come on!"

"Hey Hap, how's it going?" asked Matthieu.

"Other than having no money, it's going well."

"Yeah I hear ya. So, what are you getting the girlfriend for Christmas?"

"Not sure yet. I know we've been dating for about for or five months now, but I'm still not sure what to get her."

"You still don't have any ideas? Not even for your kid?"

"Well, no. I'm still new to this whole parenting thing."

"Geez, I thought you'd know well enough by now."

"Don't remind me. What are you getting Hilda?"

"Even I'm still thinking about that. But I'm sure I'll figure it out."

"Yeah I guess. Hey, do you know what I should do?"

"Hey, it's your girlfriend, not mine."

"True. I guess I'll just get her some nice dresses and movies to start."

"Sounds like an idea to me. Lets just hope she doesn't leave you broke."

"You too."

"Oh yeah."

"Hey Holland."

"Oh, hey Dominic. What's up?"

"Nothing really. Have the girls returned yet?"

"No, not yet."

"I see. Any word on what's going on with Ageha?"

"Nothing new yet. From the latest reports so far though, they remain extremely uncooperative and refuse to talk."

"Hmm, I wonder what they're hiding?"

"Not sure. Some sort of schematics program was recovered, but no one's sure what they're for."

"Do we have a copy of them?"

"No. Only Jurgens has them at the moment. They're to go directly to admiral Benson first."

"I see. I'll try to use my connections at the information bureau to see if I can find anything."

"Good, you do that. If you can't find any information that way, we may have to make a little side trip."

"To where?"

"Hacienda?"

"Let me guess, to find out what the rebels have planned?"

"Exactly. My question is, why would they show up at Tresor? It doesn't make any sense."

"Good point. Their showing up didn't really prove or do anything unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Do you remember the orange and oratorio projects from when Dewey was around?"

"Yeah, who doesn't?"

"Well, what if this was a distraction of some sort?"

"A distraction?"

"Yes! What if they're trying to possibly bring one or both of them back?"

"Hmm, good point. Dominic, get on the information bureaus database and see what you can find on this. I'll get in contact with Jurgens and see what he knows. I'll also alert him of this information. If we are right on this, god forbid, we're going to be fighting a whole new ballgame here really soon."

"Ok kids, we're home. Now lets decorate!" said Renton as they walked into the house. "Maurice, do you think you can handle laying Felicity down?"

"Sure dad. I can handle it."

"Good. Maeter, why don't you help Linck bring the things in. I'll grab the tree."

"Ok dad!"

"Ok, Felicity is laying down and sleeping dad!"

"Good job Maurice. Come help your brother and sister then. Let's try to get this done before your mother gets home."

"Hey Hap!" said Nadia as she, Hilda, and Gidget returned from their shopping.

"Hi there. Did you ladies have fun?"

"You could say that."

"How broke did you leave us?"

"Actually not bad at all."

"Good. That means I can shop for you too now."

"Ahh, I see. Can I know what you're getting me?"

"Nope. You have to wait just like I have to."

"Oh you're no fun."

"Yeah yeah. So what'd you get Avriana?"

"A bike, clothes, various toys for girls her age, and a movie. And since I used both of our money for it, you don't have to worry about getting her anything. They'll be from both of us. All you have to do is put the bike together."

"I see. I think I can handle that."

"Good. I'm going to go wrap this stuff up now. See you later."

"Ok. Have fun."

"I will. Love you."

"Thanks for taking me shopping mom!" said a cheerful Eureka.

"You're welcome. I'm glad you had fun. Now let's wrap this stuff."

"Wrap it?"

"Yep. Since they're Christmas gifts, you wrap them in decorative paper so no one can tell what they are."

"Oh, ok. Like a surprise!"

"Right, you got it!" Eureka just let out a huge smile and said "I think this is going to be my favorite time of the year."

"It usually is for a lot of people."

"It is?"

"Yes it is. It's the one time of year when love, caring, and sharing really comes out and shows their true colors. It's really a beautiful time of year."

"Sounds amazing mom. I think I'm going to love this time of year."

A couple of days later, Dominic and Holland borrowed the Gekko for a short trip to Hacienda. Dominics research into oratorio and Ageha left him with more questions than answers, but something was definitely up. There was something in the information bureaus database that didn't settle with him. When they arrived, Benson immediately greeted them.

"Commander Novak, captain Sorrel, good to see you. What is the purpose of this visit?"

"Admiral," said Dominic. "we were given information that when Ageha was captured, some sort of schematics were recovered. Is this true?"

"Yes it is. Why do you ask?"

"Have these schematics been reviewed?"

"No, not yet. I just received them yesterday."

"Good. We'd like to see them. If they are what I think they are, we've got a whole new problem."

"Ok, follow me to my office. We'll take a look at them there."

"Thank you admiral." a few minutes later, the three walked into Bensons office where he opened the schematics program on his computer.

"Well, here it is, but what is it?"

"Let me look admiral." as he did, Dominics experience with Dewey kicked in as he looked over every detail. All at once his eyes opened in shock. He knew exactly what it was.

"Dominic, what's wrong?" asked Holland.

"I was right all along. It was a distraction. They've possibly been playing us throughout this entire war."

"What? Why, what is it?"

"Oratorio. It's back and more powerful than before. If this thing gets fired, there's enough power in it to destroy the entire world."

"Hey hon, here's this weeks payroll."

"Thanks Renton. I'll get to it in a bit."

"Ok. Where's Anemone?"

"She's been busy with that new military contract, so I've been doing all her work."

"Geez. Want any help?"

"Thanks dear but you have your own work to do ok?"

"Well, can I make a suggestion then?"

"Sure."

"I know three girls who would love to help if you want them to."

"You mean Katie, Sarah, and Michelle?"

"Sure, why not. I know they love hanging out with you."

"I guess I could give it a shot."

"Wouldn't hurt to try. By the way, I'm taking the kids out with me tonight to do some more Christmas shopping for you."

"Oh really now? What are you getting me?"

"Now you know I can't tell you that."

"Renton Thurston, I don't care what it takes, but I'm going to figure out how to break down that wall of yours one of these days." she said with a seductive tone.

"You can keep trying all you want, but it'll never work dear. See you after work."

"Oh alright. Love you."

"Love you too sweetie."

"Hey Holland, welcome home."

"Thanks Talho."

"How'd everything go?"

"Oh, everything went fine. What smells good?"

"Me and Anemone are baking cookies for Christmas. Want some?"

"Sure. Sounds good after a long trip."

"So what's going on?"

"Lets not worry about that right now. It's the holiday season."

"Yeah, you're right."

"Mom, dad, Dominic, come here!" yelled Anemone happily.

"What's the matter Anemone?" asked Dominic.

"Look outside!"

"Holland dear, it's snowing!"

"I see that." he chuckled. "Everyone grab your coats and hats. We're going for a walk."

"So pretty!" said Maeter as she danced in the snow. "Now I hope it snows on Christmas!"

"Keep wishing and maybe it will." said Renton. "So what should we get your mother?"

"How about some clothes?"

"Nah, she's got enough of those."

"How about jewelry?"

"That's an idea. Maybe a nice necklace and some new rings would be nice."

"Hey dad, how about we get mom a nice dress jacket?" said Maurice.

"There you go. She does need a couple of warm jackets. Good idea Maurice."

"Thanks dad."

"Hey Linck, do you have any ideas for your mom?"

"I'm not sure papa."

"Well how about this for an idea then? We'll get all the ideas you guys already suggested, then we'll pick out one that comes from you kids and then we'll get one specifically from me. How does that sound?"

"Sounds cool papa!"

"Alright then. Let's go."

"Mom, dad, sis!" said Eureka as she was walking along.

"Hey Eureka!" said Talho. "Where's your husband and kids?"

"They're out Christmas shopping for me, so I couldn't tag along."

"I see. They must be getting something big for you."

"I guess. What are you guys doing out?"

"We're out enjoying the beautiful weather. Want to join us?"

"Sure mom."

"Are you done shopping for your family then?"

"Just about. I have to get a few more things yet."

"That's good."

"Hey dad, have you done any shopping yet?"

"Nope, can't say I have yet. Neither has Dominic."

"Better get on it then dad."

"I suppose so. I don't need another beating from your mother."

"Huh?"

"Don't ask." Dominic chuckled. "It wasn't very pretty."

"You best get moving yourself dear." said Anemone. "You'll be getting beaten too if I don't get anything from you this year."

"Holland, I think that's our cue."

"I think you're right Dominic. Bye ladies!"

"Anemone, I think you actually scared them off." Talho laughed. "I've never seen those two men move so fast."

"What can I say mom, I just have that touch."

"I Guess so. Well, it looks like it's just us ladies again. What should we do?" Eureka and Anemone just looked at each other, smiled, and said "Shopping!"

"Hey dad, what should we get mom?" asked Avriana.

"I'm not sure kiddo. I'm new to this whole thing just like you are."

"I see."

"Did you have any ideas?"

"Well, I would like to see her in clothes other than her medical uniforms."

"True. She does need somewhat of a new wardrobe."

"How about a nice picture of you and me dad?"

"Yeah, not a bad idea. You must like being a family don't you?"

"Yes I do. I just wish we were more complete."

"What do you mean?"

"I want you and mom to be married like Renton and Eureka."

"That's quite a commitment though."

"Don't you love mom?"

"Of course I do. I love you too Avriana."

"Well, have you ever thought of marrying mom?"

"Actually, yes I have. I just never mentioned it to anyone."

"Really?" Avriana asked excitedly.

"Yes Avriana." he chuckled.

"Well I just came up with an idea for the perfect Christmas gift!"

"You did? Oh yeah, I know what you're talking about. Come on kiddo, let's go get your mom an engagement ring!"

"Yeah dad!"

"But we're going to do it in a different way though."

"Huh?"

"We're going to have Santa deliver it."

"Santa?"

"You'll see. Come on!"

"So Dominic, what'd you get Anemone?" asked Holland.

"I got her baby supplies. Just a few things to start. I'll get more later. What about you with Talho?"

"A lot of accessories for the house, some nice sweaters, a necklace, a couple of movies."

"Sounds like a pretty good haul there Holland."

"Yeah I guess so. Anemone is due in about three months now right?"

"Correct. Hmm, maybe I should get a few more things then."

"Well, how about you get some things specifically for her. You can always get more baby stuff later on."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea. Thanks Holland."

"Don't mention it. At least this way we avoid a beating."

"Very true." Dominic chuckled.

That night everyone had gathered at Holland and Talhos house after the snowstorm that had started turned into a nasty blizzard. As they all gathered around their fireplace they began to sing Christmas carols while they sipped on hot chocolate. As the others began to set up the tree and decorations, Eureka could sense the joy that was in the air. As she sat on the sofa with Felicity in her arms, she watched with a warm smile and a giggle as she saw Renton and Dominic try to untangle all the lights for the tree. The kids and Hap were hanging decorations on the tree while Holland and Talho hung the wreath over the fireplace and put lights in the living rooms bay window. Anemone sat next to Eureka and smiled also. The joy and caring that was in the air was relaxing and calming, and also soothing to them. Eureka was loving this time of year, and was sure it would become her favorite. As Felicity fell asleep in her arms, Anemone carefully took her and Eureka went to join the festivities.

"Having fun dear?"

"Oh, hey hon. Yeah, actually I am. This time of the year is the best."

"Yeah I know. I'm loving it so far."

"That's good. Did Felicity fall asleep?"

"Yeah. Anemone's got her now. I guess all these activities wore her out."

"I suppose so. Did you want to help?"

"Can I?"

"Sure hon. You don't have to ask. Come join the fun!"

"Ok." she replied with a warm smile. As soon as all the lights were finally strung out and hung on the tree, Holland had everyone gather around for the first lighting.

"Everyone," he said, "here's to our first Christmas at our new home. Ok, one, two, three, Merry Christmas!" he yelled as he turned on the tree.

"Looks beautiful Holland." said Talho. "You all did a wonderful job."

"Thanks. Good job everyone. This is going to be a wonderful Christmas."

"It's beautiful dad." said Eureka. "It's as pretty as our place."

"Thanks Eureka. That means a lot, especially since this is your first Christmas."

"You're welcome dad. This has been a wonderful season for me so far."

"I'm glad you're enjoying it. Now how about some more hot chocolate everyone?"

"Right behind you hon." Talho replied as she followed him into the kitchen.

"So you enjoying yourself Anemone?" asked Renton.

"Yes I am. It's been lovely so far."

"Yeah it has."

"What about you Avriana?" asked Eureka.

"I love it! It's been awesome!"

"Good to hear." Renton laughed. "One thing is for sure," he continued as he put his arm around his wife, "it definitely brings out the love and caring in everyone."

"Yes it does." Eureka replied after she gave him a gentle kiss. "It's a wonderful feeling."

"Ok you two, enough of that." Talho laughed as they brought out trays of hot cocoa.

"Oh mom." Eureka giggled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome dear. Now how about some more Christmas songs everyone?"

The next morning everyone woke up to a sunny day and a foot and a half of new snow on the ground. Everyone else on the Gekko had carefully arrived after being invited over for breakfast. As the adults sat inside and conversed, all the kids went outside to play. After a little while, Hilda said "Hey guys, how about we go join the kids?"

"Sounds like fun to me." Nadia replied.

"Go on ahead." said Mischa. "I'll watch the two little ones."

"Ok Mischa. Come on everyone!"

"This snowman is awesome!" said Maeter happily. "It's so cool!"

"Whatcha doin kids?" asked Nadia as they all walked outside.

"Building a snowman!" Avriana replied cheerfully.

"Looks like fun. Can we help?"

"Sure mom! Come on!"

"Well, at least the ladies are having fun with the kids." said Hap as the men watched on. "Why aren't you with them Renton?"

"I figured I'd let Eureka enjoy the experience of winter firsthand. Looks like she's enjoying it."

"Yeah, looks like they all are." said Holland. "But follow me guys."

"What are you planning Holland?"

"You'll see Renton." he replied with an evil grin. As soon as all the men reached the back of the yard, Holland grabbed a handful of snow, made a ball, and flung it straight at Talho.

"Looks great kids." said Hilda as they finished the snowman.

"Awesome kids!" Talho replied. Just then the snowball that Holland had thrown hit her straight in the back. "Hey, who did that?" when she turned to face the men, she was hit once again in the chest. She then stood there to see a laughing husband. "Oh no you didn't."

"Oh yes I did." he chuckled.

"You dare to try that again?"

"I would, but I'd hate to hit that pretty little face of yours."

"Oh really now? Women, defensive line now!"

"Men, get ready! Defensive positions!"

"You ready for this my dear husband?"

"You don't stand a chance and you know it!"

"Ok then. Ladies get ready!"

"Men aim!"

"FIRE!" they both yelled, and the snowball fight began. "Hap, you, Dominic, and Renton flank right now!"

"Ok! Come on you two!"

"Alright!" said Renton.

"Jobs, you, Doggie, and Woz take the left!"

"Ok leader!"

"Matthieu, me, you and Stoner will cover the middle!"

"Ok, let's get them!"

"Eureka, Anemone, stay with me!" yelled Talho. "Hilda, Nadia, you handle Hap, Renton, and Dominic! Gidget, you and the kids handle the other three!"

"Ok! Come on kids!" said Gidget.

"Come on Hilda! Let's show these men who's boss!" yelled Nadia.

"Right behind you sister!" she replied and for the next half hour, the entire crew fought for snowball supremacy. The men held their postions tough, not letting the women and kids gain on them. The women surprisingly did just as well. Whenever the men tried to move forward, they would use the kids to add strength since they were smaller and harder to hit. The men finally saw this and used it to their advantage. When they tried to move forward towards the left again, the women pulled left also to match them. The men then immediately and without warning went back right, finally overtaking the kids and finally the women in one last outburst of snowballs. The women finally gave up and the war ended with tons of laughter, hugs, and kisses as they all went inside to warm up.

"Now that was fun." said Renton as he and Eureka cuddled up close in a blanket to warm up on the sofa.

"Wasn't it?" Talho giggled as she and Holland did the same. "Oh, thanks for the hot chocolate Mischa."

"You're welcome. Looks like you guys were having fun out there."

"Yeah we did. Looks like it tuckered out the kids though. They all fell asleep in the middle of the floor."

"I guess they did." said Hilda. "They all deserved it though. It's not very often that they get to have fun like that."

"No it's not. They needed it." Nadia replied.

"True, they did. So what's for lunch?"

"I don't know." said Holland. "What should we do?"

"I'll order pizza if you guys want to chip in." Nadia replied.

"Sounds like a plan to me. Pizza it is."

"Hey Eureka." said Renton quietly as Nadia was on the phone.

"Yes dear?"

"Did you have fun?"

"Yes I did. I didn't think Winter was that much fun."

"Well now you know it is. I would do that again anyday."

"Yeah, so would I."

"I love you."

"I love you too Renton." the two then cuddled close on the sofa and chatted with the rest of their family for the remainder of the day.

For the next couple of weeks afterwards, everyone worked harder than ever due to the busy holiday season. Business at the shop had picked up for Renton, Eureka, and Anemone, so they were busier than ever. They even got permission from Axel to use Katie, Sarah, and Michelle to help so that way they could keep up with things. The girls didn't mind though. It gave them a little spending money for them to use for their families. The kids were hard at work at school too, getting ready for their winter break. Their teachers had been piling on the tests and homework, making the kids more anxious than ever to get out. Holland and Talho had sent out Christmas party invitations to everyone, inviting them to join them for the season. Everyone also feverishly finished their shopping during this time, possibly making it the best and biggest Christmas ever.

"Time for bed kids." said Eureka. "Remember, we go to Holland and Talho's tomorrow."

"Ok mom. Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas Maeter. Goodnight boys!"

"Goodnight mom!" they replied.

"Well that was a wonderful night." she said as she sat down next to her husband on the sofa.

"Yes it was dear. I think the kids enjoyed their gifts tonight. But they have a lot more coming at Holland and Talho's tomorrow."

"Yes they do love."

"That reminds me. I still have one more gift for you. I wanted to save it for after the kids were in bed."

"Oh really?"

"Yep. Here you go hon. Merry Christmas." he then handed her a small gift the size of a jewelry box.

"What is it?"

"Open it." he said softly. As Eureka carefully opened the small package, the wrapping revealed a small velvet ring box. When she opened it, inside sat a one carat, solid gold diamond ring.

"Renton, it's beautiful."

"I'm glad you like it. I got it to match the necklace I got you for our anniversary."

"Renton, thank you. I love it. I'll wear it tomorrow."

"That's good. Now let's get to bed. We have a long fun day ahead of us."

"Let's wait first. I just want to stay here and cuddle a little bit longer with you."

"Ok hon."

The next morning Eureka and Renton woke up in each others embrace still laying on their sofa. Eureka just smiled and layed there comfortable and relaxed in her husbands gentle warm embrace. There was still a small fire in the fireplace as the embers glowed red, leaving her feeling warm all over. She then looked at her right hand and the ring that he had gotten her for Christmas. Before she had put it on, she had noticed an engraving on the inside that said 'R&E Forever'. That had brought a happy tear to her eyes when she saw it. She knew that they were married and that he would never leave her, but this truly sealed that promise to her. Just as she was about to fall back asleep, cries from Felicity woke her out of her slumber. Carefully she got up as not to disturb Renton so she could check on their daughter. As she prepared to change and feed her, all the kids woke up to a snowy Christmas day. As they all cheerfully wished their mom good morning, Renton finally woke up with them. After a good morning kiss from his wife and hugs from the kids, he made them all a hearty breakfast of French toast, eggs, ham, hash browns, and orange juice. They all then showered and bathed, got nicely dressed, and headed to Holland and Talhos for the day.

"That ham is smelling good hon." said Holland that morning. He had dressed in tan khakis, slippers, and a nice Christmas sweater.

"Thanks dear. Wow, you're looking nice today."

"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself." Talho had dressed in black casual pants, low heeled shoes, and a green turtleneck with a red sweater for the holidays.

"Thanks. The ham should be done in a few hours, just in time for lunch or a little afterwards."

"Sounds good. Want me to help put the snacks out?"

"Could you? Just set them on the dining room table."

"Ok. Are all the gifts for everyone out?"

"Yes they are. They took up most of the living room." she giggled.

"Ok. Anything else?"

"Nope. We're all set. All you have to do is check on Stephen for me."

"That works for me. When will everyone be here?"

"They should all start arriving shortly."

"Alright. Let's do this."

"Momma, you look pretty!" said Linck happily as the family walked towards her parents house.

"Thank you Linck. All of you kids look good today. Even your father is looking really nice today."

"Why thank you love." he replied.

"You're welcome dear."

"Even you look beautiful today." Eureka had worn a full length black dress, a lavender sweater that matched her eyes, her rings and necklace, and black slip on dress shoes.

"Thank you hon. Well, here we are. Let's go kids."

"Holland, the kids are here!" said Talho after they walked in.

"Ok. Be down in a few!"

"Alright! Wow, you guys look wonderful today."

"Thanks mom." said Eureka. "Go play in the living room kids. Just don't touch the presents."

"Ok mom!"

"You look good too Talho." said Renton.

"Thanks Renton. There are snacks in the dining room if you guys get hungry."

"Ok Talho."

"Need help with anything mom?" asked Eureka.

"No, I have it covered for now. So did you all have a nice Christmas at home?"

"Yes we did. Look at what Renton got me." she then showed Talho the Christmas present Renton gave her.

"That's gorgeous Eureka. Looks like your husband spoiled you this year."

"Yes he did. It even says 'R&E' on the inside."

"Now that's sweet. Come on, let's join your family while we wait for the others."

Little by little the rest of the crew wandered in with presents and food in hand. All the ladies fell in love with the ring Renton gave Eureka, making her the talk of the group. She didn't really find it a big deal though, but she did love the attention. By the time everyone had arrived, lunch was ready. It had turned into a grand meal of ham, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, rolls, various salads including fruit, potato, and macaroni salad, and then apple or cherry pies for desert. After the huge meal, everyone gathered in the living room to chat and digest for a bit. Soon enough, it was time to open the gifts.

"Ok, who should we start with first?" asked Hilda.

"Well, how about we hand them out first and take turns opening them?" said Nadia. "That's what we did when I lived at home."

"Good idea Nadia." said Talho. "Let's do it that way. Alright, here we go." and with the help of Holland and the kids, all the gifts were handed out. Fifteen minutes later, everyone had a good sized pile of presents in front of them. "Ok, now let's start with the kids first. Then we'll go around and take turns." and that's what they did. For the next hour, they went one by one opening their presents. Matthieu got music gear from Hilda and vice versa since music was their passion in life, Holland got some sports gear and collectibles along with some new clothes since Talho knew he need them. Talho got accessories for their new home, clothes, and jewelry, which was something she wasn't really expecting, especially the really fancy necklace he got her. Hap got computer programs, games, tools, and some sports gear from Nadia and Avriana, Jobs and Woz also got some computer programs along with books and movies. Nadia got movies and new clothes from Hap and Avriana along with a nice Christmas picture of the two, which she absolutely fell in love with when she saw it. All the kids got various toys, clothes, and movies from everyone, Axel got a whole new set of tools from the entire crew along with movies, Diane got new dresses, accessories, and movies, Gidget got a new earring, necklace ,and ring set, new clothes and movies, Doggie got all new reffing gear, Stoner got new photography equipment from everyone, and Mischa got new medical reference books, movies, and dresses from everyone. Anemone got baby supplies, dresses, and movies from Dominic, while he got new tools, movies, and clothing of his own. Renton got movies, tools, and a whole new set of cookware since he loved to cook, and finally Eureka got another new necklace, a nice warm leather winter jacket, and various new dresses since that's what she loved.

"I think that was everyone." said Talho after they were done. "Not a bad haul for everyone."

"Not bad at all." said Nadia. "It'll be fun getting this stuff home."

"Looks like it." Talho giggled.

"I don't think we're done yet." said Hap. "I have someone special showing up."

"Who?"

"You'll find out." he said with a mischievous grin. "And I think I hear him now." Everyone then heard the sound of 'Hohoho's' coming from outside. Hap then opened the door to let in Santa and his helpers.

"Merry Christmas everyone!" said Santa as they walked in.

"Santa!" yelled the kids.

"Hohoho! Hello children! I hope you're all having a happy holiday season."

"Yes we are Santa." Talho replied. "For what do we owe this visit?"

"Well, I have some presents for all of you. Come my elves!"

"Look at all the presents!" said Maeter as they all walked in. "Too cool!"

"Hohoho, and are you Nadia Johansen?"

"Yes I am Santa."

"Well I got a present for you from Hap here. He asked me to deliver it to you myself personally."

"You do?"

"Yes I do dear, and here you go. But now I must go. I have a lot more families that I have to deliver to. Merry Christmas everyone!"

"Merry Christmas Santa!" everyone replied as he and the elves left.

"Well, looks like we have more gifts to open." said Hilda. "Dig in everyone!" And that's exactly what they did.

"Nadia, I want you to open my gift last." said Hap.

"Why?"

"You'll see."

"Ok then. I'll wait." as everyone dug in, all the kids got new bikes and toys, all the adults got either movies, jewelry, or other various gifts. Anemone even got new cribs for the twins, which really surprised her. Then finally it all came down to Nadia.

"Well come on, open it!" said Gidget as they all watched. With a slight blush on her face, Nadia carefully opened the package.

"There's nothing but tissue wrapping in here." she said when she opened the box.

"It's in there. Just keep looking." said Hap. Nadia smiled and quickly pulled out the all the tissue, eventually revealing the small jewelry box inside.

"Hap, you really shouldn't have."

"You're not done yet. Open it."

"Well, ok." she then carefully took off the ribbon and opened the box. When she did, she became totally breathless. "Hap, is this…?"

"Yes it is Nadia."

"Oh my, are you asking me to…?"

"Yes I am. Nadia Johansen, would you do me the honors of being my wife? Will you marry me?"

"Oh my Hap, I don't know what to say."

"Please, just say yes."

"YES! YES! Of course I'll marry you!" Hap then slid the ring on her finger and gave her a loving kiss. Avriana then ran up to them with tears of happiness in her eyes and got into a group hug with them. Everyone else applauded and cheered at the warm family scene. It had turned out to be the happiest and most romantic Christmas that Nadia could ever remember. "I love you Hap. Thank you." she said as she cried. "Now we can become a complete family once and for all."

"I love you too. You can also thank your daughter. She helped with the idea."

"She did? Thank you Avriana. You have no idea how happy you two have just made me."

"I think I do mom." Avriana replied. "I'm just happy we're all together for forever now."

"Yes we are dear. Both me and your father love you very much."

"I love you too mom and dad." she replied as the three continued to hold each other.

"Congratulations you three." said Talho. "We wish you all the best. Now how about a little celebratory dinner? There's still plenty of food left over."

"Sounds like a plan to me." said Nadia. "Let's go hon."

"Ok. Merry Christmas Nadia. I love you."

"I love you too Hap. Merry Christmas everyone!"

"Merry Christmas!" they all replied.


	33. Oratorio Returns

-1Chapter 33- Oratorio returns

"Hey Talho, what colors should I run with for our wedding?" asked Nadia a week later. "I know I want to have pink for the bridesmaids dresses."

"Pink?"

"Well, not just any pink. I'm talking the color of a pink rose."

"Ooh, that'll be pretty. What color flowers are you going with?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe pink and white to match everything."

"I think that'll work. What kind of dress do you want?"

"White of course, shoulder less, and with a long train and veil flowing behind me."

"Now that'll be pretty. I can already picture it. Hey Hilda, when are you guys planning on doing your wedding?"

"Not sure yet. I think we want to get past this war first before we do anything."

"Yeah, that's probably not a bad idea. Hey Nadia, have you guys decided on a wedding date yet?"

"No, we haven't gotten that far yet. But I do want to get married with all of you guys around. It wouldn't be right if we didn't."

"We wouldn't let you do that anyways." Talho giggled. "Now, on to the reception plans."

"So, do we have any idea of where Oratorio is at this point?" asked Hap.

"No, unfortunately we don't." said Dominic. "According to intelligence, it's being built in an undisclosed location, so it's been impossible to either find or track down. Now, me and Anemone do have informants out there trying to track it down, but so far it's been a lost cause. We don't know if it's already been built, is being built, or anything like that. All we can hope for now is that something pops up before too long."

"Have they used the orange project at all?" asked Ken-goh.

"As for that, I'd have to say no. Since half of the scab coral disappeared at the second summer of love, I don't think there was any need for it, even though I'm not leaving that possibility out. Now, the only thing I can suggest is that we get everyone back on the ship, and that includes you Holland, and head out. I know Renton and Eureka may not like that idea, but we'll need them there also."

"Alright, I'll have to agree with you Dominic." Holland replied. "But we've got to move quick. God only knows how much more time we have left before things get out of control. Gidget, get on the radio and try to contact the others. Have everyone get here as soon as they can."

"Roger that."

"LEADER!!" yelled Matthieu. "We've got a problem!"

"What is it?"

"Come to the Lounge quick!"

"_According to news reports today, the 'Ageha' squad that had been captured almost two months ago has been broken out today by rebel military forces around eleven a.m this morning. According to witnesses, several KLF units attacked the jail where they were being held, freeing them only at the cells where they were being held. Some people are calling this an inside job since no one on the outside knew where they were being held. Please stay in tune to this staition for further updates."_

"Well, that settles it." said Holland. "We're in a heap load of trouble. Gidget, hurry up with those calls. Hap, I want you and Woz to keep an eye on radar and trapar readings. Jobs, go get the engines started. Everyone else get to your stations. We've got a mission to complete."

A few hours later, the entire GekkoState crew was back on board and ready to go. Holland had everyone meet in the lounge first to alert them of the situation.

"Everyone," said Holland. "We've got a big problem. Several hours ago, the Ageha squad that had been captured almost two months ago was broken out of jail. Also, according to reports from Dominic and Anemone's intelligence, Oratorio is back. But that's not the worst of it." everyones eyes got a worried look on it as Holland continued. "This thing has been built to very different specifications. It's now big enough that when fully charged and fired, it could put a hole big enough into the planet to destroy it."

"Impossible!" yelled Talho. "But how?"

"That we do not know." said Dominic. "All we know is that we have to get back into action now. Anymore delays could end up risking the entire planet."

"So we're going back out then?" asked Renton.

"Yes we are Renton. I know you two hate that idea, but right now we have no choice. We need all hands on deck if we're to have any effect at all. I already have the Venturion back on board, so we're all set."

"But with Anemone now at the beginning of her eigth month, there's nothing she can do. We can't have her risking her or the twins lives fighting."

"I know that. That's why I'm going to try do it on my own."

"Say what?"

"I know that sounds impossible, but right now I've got no choice. I'm going to do what it takes to protect my wife and family. It's the same thing you would do Renton."

"Now you're sounding like me." he chuckled.

"Now's not the time for laughter Renton." said Holland. "We've got work to do. So everybody get to your stations. We're heading out."

"Roger that." they all replied.

"Eureka, are you alright?" asked Renton as they sat in their room.

"Yeah, I think so. Hey, Renton, do you think this is the final leg of this war?"

"I think so yes. The question is, can we stop the rebels before they fire that thing."

"That's not what worries me."

"It's not?"

"No. It's whether or not if we actually have enough power with the LFO's to actually do any damage to that thing."

"Well, that all depends on how well we work as a team now. If we're to defeat this thing, we'll have to work closer and better than ever now."

"Yeah, that's true. Let's go check on the kids. I hope they're not too scared."

"Ok hon."

"Hello Newhope." said Avriana as she looked at her friend. It had been a while since they had been able to fly in it, and to her it was starting to look a little lonely without them. As she stood there staring at it, Maurice walked into the hangar himself. He had noticed a change in the Newhopes feelings ever since they got back aboard the ship, so he decided to check on it to make sure everything was ok.

"Hey Avriana."

"Oh, hi Maurice."

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Do you think we'll ever be able to fly again?"

"I don't know Avriana. I wish I could answer that. We'd have to ask Holland to see if we can take him out."

"Could we?"

"Sure, why not. Maybe he'll let us take him out on a scouting mission."

"Ok. Come on, let's go ask him."

"Right behind you."

"Dominic, anything new from the federation?" asked Talho.

"No, nothing yet. I wish I knew what the rebel forces were trying to do. So where are we heading first?"

"Straight to the Ten shian mountain range."

"WHAT?! Are you guys insane? We have nobody to back us up!"

"Yes we do. The federation forces are heading there right now."

"How many of them?"

"We've got about fifteen thousand ships heading there now."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"We were going to. But we're going to Tresor first. We have to load up on extra weapons and supplies in case we need them."

"I see. When do we rendezvous?"

"In about seven days. We'll be in Tresor in two days, hopefully we'll be fully loaded in one or two, and take the next three or four days to get there."

"Is the Super Izumo with that fleet?"

"No, they're meeting us at Tresor. They'll be flying next to us the entire way up."

"I see. Alright, let's finish this once and for all."

"Hey Holland, can we ask you something?" asked Maurice.

"Sure. What's up kids?"

"Can we take the Newhope out? Maybe on a scouting mission?"

"Sure. Talho, watch the bridge. Gidget, page Renton, Eureka, and Hilda. We're heading out."

"Roger that."

"Ok, you kids remember how to do this right?" asked Holland.

"Yes we do."

"Ok, good. 909 heading out!"

"Newhope, launching now!" yelled Maurice.

"Nirvash taking off!" said Renton.

"808 heading out!" Hilda replied.

"Ok you guys, now just remember to be careful." said Holland. "I don't know how well you guys can pilot anymore, so take it easy."

"You mean this?" Maurice replied. Just then the Newhope took to the skies above in a mix of twists, turns, and dives.

"Ok, ok, you made your point. You two take sector one with the Nirvash. Hilda, you take sector three. I'll handle two."

"Alright. See you guys in a bit." Hilda replied as she took off towards the right.

"Right. See you in a few." said Renton as the Nirvash and Newhope went to the left." Holland just smirked and jetted off towards the middle. "Well, let's just hope we don't run into anything today." he thought to himself. "We don't have time for any horseplay."

"Nirvash, this is Newhope. All systems normal. So far nothing to report."

"Roger that Newhope. Nothing to report from our end either. So far all is quiet. So, are you guys ready for this finale?"

"I think so Renton." Avriana replied. "This war has taken too much out of this world in order for it to continue. We have to stop it now while we have the chance."

"Yeah, you're right Avriana. You are pretty smart for your age you know that?"

"Thanks. I get that a lot for some reason."

"I'm sure you do." Renton chuckled. "Anyways, we had better head back to the ship. Gekko, this is Nirvash. We're heading back."

"Nirvash, this is the Gekko. Roger that. Any rebels to report?"

"Negative. Our sector is clear. Anything from the 909 or 808?"

"Negative. Still waiting for them to report in."

"Roger that. See you in a few."

"Roger."

"Well Avriana, this may be it for us." said Maurice as they were flying back.

"What do you mean?"

"When this war ends, I don't know where we'll be going after this. I know I'll be going back home, but I don't know where you'll be going."

"I already know where I'll be."

"You do?"

"Yes. By your side Maurice."

"But…"

"No buts Maurice. I know we may only going on ten, but I care for you and your family too much for us to go anywhere. I don't care what it takes, but I'll make sure my family stays in Bellforest so we can always be together."

"If you say so Avriana." Maurice chuckled. "Come on, let's go home."

"Confirming the landing of the Nirvash and Newhope and the closing of the loading dock." said Gidget.

"Roger that Gidget." said Talho. "Get in contact with the 909 and 808 and find out where they're at. Have them come on back."

"Ok."

"Well, that was successful." said Eureka as they climbed out of the LFO's. "No rebels to worry about. We should be in Tresor in no time."

"Yeah I think so." Renton replied. "Why don't you kids go to your rooms and rest. You're going to need it with the upcoming battle."

"Ok dad. Come on Avriana."

"Alright. Later Renton and Eureka!"

"Bye kids!" Eureka replied with a motherly tone. "Hey hon, I think those two will be inseperable for life when they get older. What do you think?"

"I think you're right dear. Come on, let's go to our room and relax ourselves. I think these next several days are going to be our toughest ever."

Two days later, the GekkoState landed at Tresor before the final battle over earth. As promised, the Super Izumo was sitting there waiting for them.

"Jurgens, good to see you again." said Holland as they disembarked. "How are the preperations going for our final operation?"

"About as well as can be expected at the moment. The location of Oratorio has yet to be found, which probably means it's already been launched into space. Rebel forces are already on the move towards the Tian shan mountain range. It'll be several days before all of our forces can reach that area."

"I see. Is your ship prepared and ready to go?"

"Yes it is. We can take off at any time."

"Right. We'll be here for a couple of days to stock up on everything we need. Our LFO's are about as good as they're going to get. I just hope all of our forces have enough in them to stop them."

"Well it's going to turn into one hellacious battle no matter how we look at it. The question is are you guys ready for this?"

"Ready as we'll ever be."

"Good. Follow me then. We'll go over the final plans in my office."

Later on in the evening, Maurice and Avriana sat at the opening of the GekkoStates loading dock looking out at the sunset over the surrounding mountains. Pretty soon the entire crew was sitting there with them as the calming sunset went down over the mountains. They all knew this was the calm before the storm that awaited them.

"So peaceful." said Nadia as she sat next to her daughter. "It's a shame we have to fight for a land that is so beautiful and forgiving to us."

"Yes I know." Talho replied. "It is a sad fact knowing that there are forces out there like that."

"Hey Talho, do you think we'll all make it out of this alive?"

"I'm sure of it Nadia. We aren't ones to give up that easily let alone go down without a fight. If anyone can make it, it'll be us."

"That's good. I can't believe you guys have this much faith in such a dangerous time."

"Well to tell you the truth, we're all scared to death." said Hilda. "We don't know whats going to happen next after we leave here."

"You guys are scared? I never would have thought that. All of you always seemed to be so strong and full of courage. I never once heard you guys talk about fear or being scared before."

"It's something we don't like to talk about, but it is there, no matter where we go. Right now there is no safe haven for any humans or coralians for that matter. Everyone is in extreme danger right now, even us as we sit here, out in the open."

"I see."

"Listen Nadia, don't give up on us. We all have your back right now. You also have a wonderful little girl who just may be the next hero of this world."

"Yeah, you're right. I do have a wonderful daughter. I also have a loving fiance I would give my life for and a great family that I would never turn my back on. So don't worry Hilda, I'm not going anywhere."

"That's good to hear. I think you just us showed your true colors Nadia." said Talho.

"Yeah, I guess I did. Well, are we ready to do this gang?"

"YEAH!" they all yelled in unison.

"Hey, Hap, you do realize one thing right?"

"And what's that?"

"If and when we do make it out of this alive, we're still getting married."

"I know that. Besides, you're not the only one who has a daughter to look over."

"You're right, I'm not."

"Well listen everybody," said Holland. "Just because this war is ending doesn't mean a thing. We're still a family first thing. Even if we have no wheres to go after this, we have to promise to stay together, to keep in contact with each other at all times. Can you do that?" Everyone then nodded their heads in agreement. "Good. Come on then. Lets all get some sleep. We'll be here all day tomorrow also, so at least we'll have one more sunset before we head up to the big showdown."

The next day was a flurry of activity as the final preperations for the final battle were made. Weapons were stocked to the max, all the LFO's were tuned and peaked to maximum efficiency and final stocking of any other necessary goods was done. Tension in the air was high as well were the stress levels. It was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. But no one showed it though. They stood tough and proud of what they had done in this war. The hard times, the good, the bad, the laughs, and the tears all came down to this. This was their time to shine once again as a family.

"So, are you guys all ready to go then?" asked Jurgens that evening.

"All set. We take off at o eight hundred tomorrow."

"Good. We rendezvous with the rest of our forces over Capitol City. From there we should hopefully gain some more KLF forces from the city. We should arrive at our scheduled destination two days later."

"Alright. Well Jurgens, until tomorrow then."

"You got it commander. Until tomorrow."

That night as everyone sat in the lounge and chatted amongst themselves, the atmosphere remained light and cheery. No mention of the war or the upcoming battle was ever mentioned between all of them. Instead it was jokes, talks of family, sports, and childhood memories. Later on as everyone sat in their rooms before bedtime, the reality finally set in for them. It was now time for business. No more horsing around, playing with kids, relaxing, having a good time, or just lounging around. It was time to fight. Fight for their lives, their children, their friends, their home, and their planet. It was now time for them to give it all they had.

"Hey, Renton." said Eureka as they sat in bed. "Are you scared?"

"Well, what about you?"

"I'm terrified. I don't want to hurt anyone, but this time we may not have a choice."

"I'm afraid not dear. This is that one time where we have to give it all we've got to keep our families and this world safe. But believe me, I'm scared to death too. But no matter what happens, I'm not giving up."

"Neither will I Renton. I'll be by your side no matter what happens."

"And so will I." As Eureka looked at her husband, she gave him a warm caring smile letting him know that things would be alright. Renton then gave her a slow, loving kiss, almost more passionate than the one he gave her on their wedding day. When they released their hold on each other, Eureka continued to hold onto her husband tight. Slowly the two layed down and fell into a deep but somewhat uncomfortable sleep.

The next morning, everyone met in the lounge one last time before they took off. All that was said at that meeting everyone had already heard, but Holland wanted everything to be refreshed in their minds anyways. Soon enough, everyone was at their staitions ready to take off.

"Jobs, engine room."

"Flywheel is engaged. Engines are normal. We can take off anytime."

"Hap, trapar."

"Trapar counts are stable. We should have no problems taking off."

"Woz, radar."

"Other than the Super Izumo, the area is clear. No rebel forces in the way."

"Ken-goh, weapons."

"Safety locks are on. AAM's are stocked and fully loaded. We're set to go."

"Gidget, do we have clearance to take off?"

"Clearance has been given. Message from Tresor. They say good luck and godspeed. They also say to come home soon."

"Roger that. Tell them thanks and that we will. Doggie, light the boosters. Let's go finish this."

"Roger that. Releasing the brakes. Engine pressures are normal. No rate in change of increase. Lighting boosters now. GekkoState taking off!!" and as the GekkoState and Super Izumo took off into the morning skies, the entire crew at Tresor stood on top of the buildings and waved their friends goodbye.

"Do you think they'll come back?" asked Sonia as they disappeared into the horizon.

"I think they will Sonia." said Morita. "If I know the GekkoState like I do, they'll be back. I can guarantee it."

"Super Izumo, this is GekkoState. We are now heading to the high altitude leylines. Make sure you keep up." said Holland.

"Hey, who do you think we are?" Jurgens chuckled. "This ship has more power in it than the Gekko will ever have."

"Alright. Just try not to lose us ok?"

"Roger that."

"Alright,everyone listen up. Keep your eyes and ears open for any rebel forces. I'm sure they know we're on our way so they'll probably try to do all they can to keep us back. I'll be in my room if you need anything."

"Roger that." they all replied.

"Well, here we go." said Renton as he watched out their bedroom window. "I hope and pray to god that we're ready for this." Eureka just came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. She could sense his fear, and him hers. But the two knew that together, they could overcome that fear and do what they had to to save the planet.

"Hey, Renton, you know I never want to let you go right? You know I never want you to be out of my reach."

"I know you do love. I will never be out of your reach. As long as this heart of mine beats, as long as I'm standing here breathing, I will always be within reach of you. You have my promise on that." he then turned to face her and noticed the tears in her eyes. They weren't tears of happiness or tears of sadness, but tears of fear. Fear of losing her husband, or each other in this one last battle. Renton just gave her a reassuring smile and gave her a passionate kiss. He then did something he had never done before. Gently he picked her up from behind her knees and back and carried her over to their bed. There they slowly and lovingly made love to each other, more lovingly than they had ever made love before.

"Oratorio number 10 is now in place." said the leader of the rebel forces. "In 48 hours when all of our forces are in place, we'll finally strike down these coralians beings and take control of our world. No longer will coralians walk the earth. We will be the only ones who reign supreme on this planet. We will make sure of it this time. Congratulations children. You would've made Dewey proud.

"Thank you General." said the blonde haired child. "This will be our greatest victory ever. We may have been fighting a losing war, but this weapon will finally make up for all those losses. The federation has nothing in it arsenal that can stop us now. Let us finish this war not on the federations terms, but on our terms, ones that should have came true in the first place."

"Hail Dewey!"

"HAIL DEWEY!" the crew cheered.

The next day, the GekkoState and the Izumo finally reached Capitol City. This day was the day they had been waiting on. This was the point where they would rendezvous with the remaining federation forces. But to their surprise, there was a lot more than the fifteen thousand ships there that they had been hoping on. Instead there was twenty five thousand ships, or about ninety five percent of the federations aerial forces. This gave everyone a added sense of hope when the counts came in. This was ten thousand more than planned, and every little bit of it would help in the long run.

"So Jurgens, what do you think now?" asked Holland after they joined all the other ships.

"It's truly a miracle Holland. I never thought in a million years that we would get this much help. I think everyone just got an added spring in their step."

"Yeah, I think the same happened here too. So I guess now we head to our final destination."

"Roger that. Admiral Benson should be on federation battleship Xavier. He'll be leading most of the way."

"Copy that. We'll keep our channels clear here on our end."

"Alright. Let's go finish this thing once and for all."

"Hey Dominic, did you hear the good news!" said Anemone. "The federation added an extra ten thousand ships to the fleet! We now have twenty five thousand ships with us!"

"No way! They did that? Wow, I guess they mean business."

"Strength in numbers they say."

"I guess so. That's definitely good news though."

"Isn't it? But will it still be enough?"

"Against their forces we shouldn't have a problem. They probably don't even have half this strength with all the hits and losses they've taken. But the big question is what about Oratorio and Ageha?"

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. We still don't know what's going on with them."

"No we don't, but I'm still happy with what we've got. We definitely have the upper edge now."

"Yes we do hon. Yes we do."

"Renton, look! It's amazing!" said Eureka happily as they sat in the lower lounge of the bridge.

"I know. Hey Talho, how many ships do we have out there?"

"Twenty five thousand Renton." she replied. "We were only expecting fifteen. This is ten thousand more than we had expected."

"Awesome! Do you think this gives us a better chance now?"

"Maybe Renton. Things are definitely looking up now for us. But remember, don't let this get you over confident. Things can still change on us in a real hurry."

"I know that. Thanks Talho."

"Don't mention it. I had better get back to work then. There's a lot of coordinating that has to be done to get us all into position."

"Alright. Good luck mom." Eureka replied.

"Later kids."

"Well hon, looks like we'll be ok after all."

"Yes, it looks that way dear. It definitely looks that way." Renton then put his arm around his wife as the two watched in amazement the sight that beheld them. The future of the world was now in the federations hands. They had now become one unbeatable force.

That evening before everyone went to bed final checks were done to the ship, weapons, and LFO's to make sure everything was in working order and ready to go at a moments notice. Tension was now at it's peak, and everyone knew it. No one talked to each other that night. They just worked and rushed around doing what they had to to be prepared. Renton and Dominic were checking the LFO's, Woz and Jobs were going over every last detail of the engine systems, Hap and Gidget were going over all of the security checks, Ken-goh was doing one last weapons checks, Nadia was going over the medical supplies and equipment in case it was needed, and the others tended to the kids to keep them occupied and relaxed. By the time everyone went to bed, no one could really sleep. But they knew they had to. Having no sleep now wasn't an option. All the rest they could get now was what they would need to finish this war. Every last bit of it.

As Holland and Talho lay in bed that evening, Holland just twisted and turned. He couldn't get comfortable. He was worried. As he looked at his sleeping wife, he thought of their life and home. A place where he wished he was at this time. Home, with his wife and son, their daughter and son-in-law, with the upcoming twins, and with the rest of their family. As he thought of all the things in his life, Talho stirred and slowly woke up.

"Hey, Holland."

"Hi hon. Did I wake you?"

"No. Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"No you're not. What's wrong?"

"I'm worried."

"I think we all are Holland."

"That's not what I mean."

"Then what?"

"I'm worried about you and Stephen, our kids, our home, everything."

"And you think I'm not? If I had the choice the kids wouldn't be here, but they wanted to be with us. They put up one hell of a fight against Axel to be with us, so its obvious they wanted to be with their families."

"Yeah, that they did." Holland chuckled. "Those kids turn out more like their parents everyday."

"Stephen will be the same way believe me. He'll probably turn out like you more than you'll ever believe."

"Oh I can guarantee it dear."

"Yeah so can I. Hey, is it still ok for us to have another child?"

"Sure dear. We can try anytime you want. I told you that when I told you I bought the house."

"Yeah, you're right. Can we try now?" Holland just gave her a warm gentle smile before making love to his wife for the rest of the night.

The next morning the stage was set. By the time everyone was up, the entire federation fleet was twenty eight hours from their destination. All of the ships were now in place. Captain Jurgens then came on the radio for one last message.

"_Ladies and Gentleman, this is captain Jurgens of the ship Super Izumo. I want to start off by saying thank you for joining us in this important mission. I along with all of your comrades and family members would be proud of what you are doing here today. May their thoughts and prayers be with you as we once again try to save our planet from Ageha, Oratorio, and the rebel forces. But now back to business. In a little over twenty four hours, we will be going head to head with the rebels one last time in order to protect our planet. Please make sure all of your weapons and emergency preperations are set in case they aren't. Any mistakes we make now could either make or break us, and I'd rather make it more than anything. So without further ado, I wish you all luck and godspeed. See you all at the frontlines. Jurgens out."_

"Well, that does it." said Holland after the message. "We're now in this for the long haul. From here there's no going back."

"We'd never back down in the first place and you know it."

"I know Talho. Thanks. Is everyone set to go then?"

"Yes they are. The only thing I'm worried about are the kids."

"Well they're here if we like it or not. Maurice and Avriana for sure because of the Newhope. The others, well, what can I say?"

"There's nothing to say." Talho giggled. "They're inseperable I guess."

"That they are. Alright, I'm heading to the dining hall for lunch. Want me to get you anything?"

"I'm ok for now. Thanks though."

"Alright. See you in a bit."

"Hey Dominic, anything new from intelligence?" asked Anemone while they sat in their room.

"I'm looking right now."

"Well, anything?"

"Oh man, this isn't good."

"What's wrong?"

"I just got an email from one of our informants. Apparently the rebel forces are already at the Tian shan mountain range."

"Anything else?"

"Yes. Oratorio is in place and is now charging. We have thirty hours before it fires. Apparently from what the schematics explained, this new version can only fire once at full strength."

"But can't that one shot destroy the world?"

"It can and it will if we don't get to it first."

"But how? They're sure to have it protected somehow."

"I know. I'm going to transfer this info to Jurgens and Benson. Maybe together we can come up with some sort of plan."

"Alright. I'll go let Holland know."

"Ok hon. Thanks."

"So what do we do?" asked Jurgens. He, Holland, and Benson were on a conference call on the bridge going over the information that Dominic and Anemone had sent them.

"I'm not sure." Benson replied. "The last time all we were able to do was destroy and stop the orange, but we never got to Oratorio. We arrive in about twenty four hours. From what Mr.Sorrels intelligence told us, it's going to take a little over that for Oratorio to charge since it's such a large weapon. Is there anybody that can go up into space and shoot it down?"

"Only us and the Super Izumo." said Holland. "But the only problem is that we're needed here. We're the only ones who have enough power to stop the Ageha squad. My other LFO's wouldn't stand a chance against them and neither would my ship. I'm sure the Super Izumo has enough manpower to handle it."

"We might yes." Jurgens replied. "All of our ships have the new Omega KLF's on board, including us. I have nine of those on board right now. Since our men have been trained a lot more on them, I'm sure they can get out there and take out any resistance along with Oratorio."

"But what about timing? We can't just have you go off on your own. We'd have to have some sort of distraction to keep the rebels eyes off of you so you can get yourselves up there."

"That'll we'll have to figure out tomorrow. If we have to we'll have you, the Xavier, and maybe one or two other ships keep us covered while we do a trajectory flight out of the battlefield and into space, where we can hopefully do our job from there."

"That'll be the only thing we can do." Benson replied. "Because if you did just try to separate on your own, you'd most like be shot down."

"I'd hardly say that Admiral sir. This ship can take a lot more hits than either you or the Gekko, so it'll take a lot to stop us."

"I see. Alright, we'll go with that plan for now. But if things do change, we'll have to take care of it right away. Every moment counts."

"Roger that sir. Anything else at the moment commander Novak?"

"No not at this moment." he replied. "That's all we have for now. If anything else comes up, we'll make sure to let you know."

"Alright. Izumo out."

"Xavier out."

"Gekko out."

"Can we pull it off then?" asked Talho worryingly.

"We have no choice. We have to stay on the frontlines. The Izumo is our only chance at stopping oratorio from firing."

"Yeah, I suppose so."

"Don't worry Talho. If anyone can do it, it's us."

"Yeah, I know."

"Ok. Everyone, make your final preperations. We strike in twenty four hours."

Wendsday morning, o eight hundred hours, Redemption day. Federation forces have reached the Tian Shan mountain range. Twenty five thousand strong, the cross over the horizon, much to the dismay of the rebel forces. With only fourteen thousand ships on their side, they quickly found out that they were severly outnumbered.

"But how Admiral?! How could they slip this past us?!"

"I don't know. Is Oratorio ready to fire yet?"

"Not for another two hours sir! The Federation fleet will be here in fifteen minutes!"

"Dammit, alright, you kids, go get into your LFO's. I'm sure you, the Ageha squad, are the only ones who can do any real damage. Everyone else, get your KLF squadrons ready to launch. And for the rest of us, well, may god help us all…

This is part one of two for the finale of this series. I want to thank all of you readers for supporting me in this fan fic. I do have a sequel that is in the works as we speak so not to worry, i'm not going anywheres lol. Here's a preview for the next and final chapter:

_With the battle now minutes away, the Rebel forces launch the Ageha squad for one last stand against the rebels. Meanwhile, the federation forces try to create a diversion to get the super Izumo out of the atmosphere and near Oratorio to try to destroy it once and for all. Will the federation complete their mission or will the Ageha squad be able to hold everyone back before it fires? Find out in the finale of Eureka Seven- A New Beginning, chapter 34-Redemption Day._


	34. Redemtion Day

-1Chapter 34- Redemption day

"GekkoState, this is the Super Izumo, do you copy?"

"Jurgens, this is the Gekko, Go ahead."

"Holland, are you prepared for what you have to do?"

"Yes we are. Eta should be about fifteen minutes. We engage as soon as we get there."

"Roger that."

"Hey, are you still going to try to do a trajectory flight and get Oratorio?"

"That's the plan so far. As long as you and the Xavier give us a distraction, we should make it with no problems."

"Alright then. Good luck Jurgens. This time, we'll be counting on you."

"Copy that commander. Izumo out."

"Gekko out."

"Holland…"

"Talho, don't worry. We can do this. Alright, everyone to battle stations! Ken-goh, put us on def-con one!"

"Roger that. Safety locks have been disarmed. Ready to fire at any time!"

"Ok, Gidget, get everyone to their LFO's, including Avriana and Maurice!"

"BUT HOLLAND!"

"I'm sorry Talho, but we need everyone out there that we can get. Have Nadia watch the children."

"Alright Holland. You guys be careful out there."

"We will. Ok, I'm heading out everyone. See you all at the end."

"Federation Omega Squadron, launch now!" yelled admiral Benson from the Xavier. Within just a few minutes, the skies were filled with Federation battleships and KLF, but most importantly were the three LFO's that were leading them- the Nirvash type zero, the Venturion, and most importantly, the Newhope.

"What is this?" yelled the captain of rebel ship Shadow. "The skies are completely covered with federation forces!"

"Calm down captain." the Admiral replied. "As long as we can hold them off for the next hour and a half, the earth will be ours once again."

"But admiral, we can't stand up against that kind of strength!"

"We're going to have to. Attention all ships, launch your KLF's now!"

"SIR! We have a problem!"

"What is it communications officer?"

"Those aren't normal KLF's that the federation is using!"

"What?"

"They're the new models we ran into over the battle of Bellforest sir!"

"They are eh?"

"That's not the only thing sir."

"It isn't?"

"No sir. It appears the Nirvash type zero, and it's counterparts the Venturion and Newhope are with them sir."

"The three most powerful LFO's in the world? We didn't come prepared for that! Ageha squad, prepare to launch in one minute!"

"So the Nirvash and Venturion are back eh? We'll get them back for what they did the last time we faced them." their leader said over the radio. "Ageha, launch now!"

"Talho, five unknown KLF's have launched from one of the rebel fleet ships!" yelled Gidget.

"Who is it?"

"Confirming now." Woz replied. "Confirmation complete. It's the Ageha squad."

"Roger that. 909, this is the Gekko. Did you copy that?"

"Gekko, this is the 909. Copy that. Nirvash, you six ready?"

"Nirvash here, ready to go."

"Good. Don't get scared or freeze up on us now you guys. You know what we have to do to stop them."

"We won't Holland. Newhope, this is Nirvash. Are you two sure you want to do this?"

"Nirvash, this is the Newhope, yes, we're sure." Avriana replied. "This is our fight as much as it is yours."

"Alright then. Ten minutes to contact. Here we go."

"Hey Dominic, are you ok?" asked Anemone as they flew along.

"I'm scared out of my wits Anemone." he replied. "I can't believe you're out here like this with our kids."

"Don't worry Dominic, I'll be fine. This is one time where I'm going to prove those Ageha brats that they've messed with the wrong woman."

"Wow, talk about determination." he chuckled. "I wish I had that right now."

"Dominic, you have to believe in yourself."

"Believe?"

"Yes, believe. Didn't being on the Gekko teach you anything?"

"What do you mean?"

"Idiot. You have to believe in yourself, your family, and your friends. You have to believe that no matter what happens, even if you're in an impossible situation, that you can make it possible to do anything you put your heart and courage into. Also, we have to believe in each other."

"Each other?"

"Yes, each other." as soon as she said that, Dominic looked at his wife and could tell by the look in her eyes that yes, they did have to believe in each other. As soon as he realized in his heart that she was right, their compact drive burst into an ever familiar bright green light.

"Venturion, what's going on?" asked Eureka worryingly.

"Don't worry, it's ok." they both replied together.

"Eureka, our compact drive!" yelled Renton

"What's happening? Newhope, what is your compact drive doing?"

"It's lit up like a Christmas tree mom! What's happening?"

"You have to believe in each other." said Anemone.

"Say what Venturion?"

"If we all believe in each other, our full powers will finally be revealed."

"I get it!" said Renton. "Everyone, concentrate your thoughts! As soon as we're all connected, we'll activate the Amita drive!"

"Renton, what's going on?!" asked Holland in the 909.

"We're ok Holland. Just have everyone stand back."

"Ok, if you say so. Everyone, back off! We're about to see some major action here!"

"Alright,everyone ready?" asked Renton.

"Let's do it." said Eureka with a warm smile. They then looked over at Maurice and Avriana who gave them a thumbs up indicating that they were ready.

"Ok, here we go." Everyone then closed their eyes and concentrated their minds together. Slowly but surely, they finally all connected as one. All you could here over the radios was one small chant.

"We believe. We believe in a future filled with love, hope, and caring. We believe in a world full of peace. We believe in a world where everyone can coexist. We believe in a world where we can become as ONE!"

"What is this!?"

"Is it another seventh swell?"

"What's going on?!" yelled the commander of the rebel fleet. "ENGAGE! ENGAGE THEM NOW! STOP THEM! WE CAN'T LET THEM DEFEAT US!"

"909, this is the Gekko! Have they?"

"Isn't is obvious? They've all become one with each other. They have all become one fighting force. This is our hope for the world."

"But how?"

"I'm not sure. EVERYONE, LOOK OUT! Here they come!"

"ROGER!" Talho yelled. "Doggie, evasive maneuvers!"

"FEDERATION FORCES FIRE!" Benson ordered from the Xavier. "Gekko, get ready to protect the Izumo!"

"Roger that Xavier! Get ready to fire defensive screens!"

"Defensive screens?"

"Yes. It'll give the Izumo a chance to hide before they fire their boosters and head towards Oratorio."

"Roger that."

"Talho, contact with Ageha in thirty seconds!" yelled Gidget.

"Nirvash, Venturion, Newhope, we need you to keep us covered! We need more time to get Izumo out of here!"

"We're on it!" Anemone replied. "Ok, now that we're all connected, let's see what these guys can really do!"

"Alright, let's do it!" Renton replied. "Sheilds up!"

"Ageha, fire now!" yelled their leader. As the five units began to glow an intense red, they had no idea their plan would backfire. As soon as they fired off their main weapon, it immediately hit what seemed like an invisible sheild. As the smoke in front of them began to clear, they all chuckled thinking they had taken out the three LFO's. "Ha, they were no challenge for us."

"Leader, we have a problem!"

"What is it?"

"I still indicate them on the radar!"

"WHAT?!" As they looked on, three sets of green colored eyes glared at them through the smoke, almost like evil demons watching for their pray. "But how?! That was our biggest attack!"

"They seemed to have formed some sort of sheild!"

"Impossible! Fire again with everything we've got!"

"Izumo, you ready?" asked Talho over the radio.

"Ready!"

"Alright! Good luck you guys! On my count, fire the defensive screens!"

"Alright. Defensive screens ready! Fire at your mark!"

"Ok Ken-goh! In five, four, three, two, one, FIRE!"

"Izumo taking off!" Jurgens yelled as the screen developed. Within just a matter of moments, the Izumo was flying high and out of the atmosphere.

"Now it's up to them." said Holland in the 909. "Now let's show these rebels what they're up against!"

"Unknown ship has left the area!" said the radar specialist on one of the rebel ships.

"What are they up to? DAMMIT, is Oratorio covered?"

"Negative sir! We fire in ten minutes!"

"Well lets just hope they don't get to it in time."

"The LFO's are attacking!" yelled the leader. "FIRE ALREADY!"

"Maurice, are we?" asked Avriana.

"We have to. It's our only hope." he said as he aimed at the leaders unit. And with the pull of a trigger, Maurice did what he never wanted to do.

"Incoming laser fire!"

"FIRE NOW!" yelled the Ageha squads leader. As their main weapon fired once again, Maurices laser fire hit the leader head on, taking her out in a brilliant explosion.

"LEADER!"

"Good Job Maurice!" said Eureka.

"GEKKO'S BEEN HIT!" yelled Anemone.

"WHAT?!"

"GO MOM!" yelled Maurice. "I'll take care of Ageha!"

"You sure?"

"JUST GO!"

"Ok, we're off!"

"Ok Ageha, you mess with my home you mess with me!"

"MAYDAY MAYDAY! This is the GekkoState! We've been hit! Severe damage! We won't make it!"

"This is the Xavier! I'm sending a high speed craft! It should fit everyone aboard!"

"Roger that! Better hurry up on it! Doggie, try to hold it as steady as you can!"

"Roger that!"

"Firing lasers now!" yelled Ken-goh.

"Ken-goh!"

"Just trust me Talho. Give me one last shot."

"Ok. Give it all you've got! Just make sure it's on Ageha."

"That's exactly who I'm aiming for. FIRING NOW!"

"Maurice, get out of the way!" yelled Anemone. Maurice quickly looked behind him and saw the laser fire coming at him. Quickly he jammed his controls into a straight forward dive. Ageha could only sit and stare as the laser fire hit them head on, taking them all out in one shot.

"Good job Ken-goh! Everybody get to the emergency hatch! The lifeboard from the Xavier is here. Load up and go! This bird is about to blow!"

"Admiral Benson, we've got a problem sir!" yelled the communications officer.

"What is it?"

"Oratorio! It's firing!"

"Maurice, look!" said Avriana as she pointed to the sky.

"It's Oratorio! It's been fired!"

"What do we do?"

"We go in."

"What?! We'll be destroyed!"

"Not if we believe in each other."

"What?"

"Avriana, do you trust me?"

"What?"

"Do you trust me?"

"YES, more than anything."

"Then we can do this! We can stop it!"

"You're right. Come on Maurice, let's go!"

"Right! Newhope going in!"

"Gekko is down! Gekko is down!" yelled Anemone.

"What about the high speed craft?!" asked Renton.

"Hold on a second! Compact interference confirmed! They made it! They're heading back to the Xavier now!"

"Excellent. Hey, where's Maurice?"

"Renton, they're heading towards where Oratorio is firing!"

"What?! Maurice, get out of there!"

"I'm sorry dad, but it's our turn to shine and save the world! Just trust us!" he replied.

"MAURICE NO!!!"

"AVRIANA!!!" yelled Nadia in horror from the windows of the high speed craft as she watched her daughter and Maurice dive into the line of fire.

Seven months later….

"I still wish you kids could explain how you did that." Renton chuckled.

"I wish we knew too dad." Maurice replied. "I guess it just took us believing that we could do anything together no matter what the situation was."

"You're starting to sound like me and your mother."

"Yes he is." Eureka replied gently. "But we had better hurry up. Hap and Nadias wedding starts soon."

"Good point. Come on kids. Let's get going."

"Ok dad!" they all replied.

"You look amazing mom!" said Avriana as they were finishing getting ready.

"Thank you dear. I can't believe it's actually happening. And I still can't believe you're here to share this day with us."

"Oh mom." she giggled.

"You look beautiful Nadia." said Talho.

"Thanks. You ladies look wonderful too. Thank you for being here today."

"Hey, we wouldn't miss it for the world." Hilda replied. "Hey, have you guys seen Renton, Eureka, and the kids yet?"

"No but they should be here shortly."

"Ok. Well, one hour before we begin. Any cold feet Nadia?"

"Don't bet on it." Nadia giggled. "That man is mine and mine alone."

"Well, now that's the sound of a confident woman."

"I agree." said Gidget.

"Hey, how is the baby coming along?" asked Talho.

"We're two months in! I'm so excited!"

"That's wonderful to hear Gidget. I'm happy for you two."

"Hey everyone we're here!" said Eureka as she walked into the ladies dressing room a little bit later.

"Hey hon." said Talho. "Where's Renton and the kids?"

"They're going to go sit down right now. Felicity has been a little fussy today."

"Ok."

"You look beautiful Nadia."

"Why thank you Eureka. You're looking nice too."

"So, what happens after this wedding? It's sad we no longer have the Gekko."

"Well, most of us are making our homes here in Bellforest." said Hilda. "That way we'll always be together. The only ones that won't be with us are Mischa and Stoner. They both went their own ways after that last battle."

"I see. Well, at least we all still have each other."

"That's right. And we wouldn't have it any other way."

"Thirty minutes ladies!" said Holland from the doorway.

"Thanks dear!" Talho yelled.

"We'll see you up front!" said Eureka. "I'm going to go join Renton and the kids."

"Alright. Thanks Eureka."

"No problem Nadia." she replied. Eureka then gave her a gentle smile and a quick hug before leaving to join her family.

"Hey Hap, you ready to go buddy?" asked Matthieu. "You're not going to chicken out are you?"

"Not on your life Matthieu." Hap chuckled. "This one's a keeper. Has the Thurston family made it yet?"

"Yes they have." Jobs replied. "They're sitting up front right now as we speak."

"Good. Everyones here then. How much time do we have left?"

"Ten minutes."

"Alright. Positions everyone!"

"Hey Renton, this reminds me of our wedding day." said Eureka with a warm smile.

"Yeah it does. And look what it gave us."

"What?"

"A nice home, three wonderful kids, and the most beautiful baby girl I could ever ask for." Eureka just smiled and gave her husband a gentle kiss.

"Hey, knock it off you two." Anemone giggled. Anemone and Dominic had sat next to them with their two little baby girls, Sara Jo and Lisa Marie Sorrel, now at five months old.

"Oh sis." Eureka giggled. A few minutes later, the progression began. First up were Hilda and Matthieu, then Doggie and Gidget, Holland and Talho, and then Steve and Julia. Finally came the time that Hap had waited for. There, standing in the doorway of the church, stood Nadia, brother at her side walking her down the aisle with Avriana in front of them spreading rose petals on the floor. When Nadia reached the altar, John carefully handed her off to Hap to face the pastor. She smiled at her brother as to say thank you as she joined her soon to be husband.

"Ladies and Gentleman, I want to say thank you for joining us here on this beautiful summer day. We are gathered here today to join two loving people on their wedding day. May I ask now who gives this beautiful young lady away?"

"I do." said John. "I take our parents place since they aren't here with us."

"Thank you. I now ask that if anyone in this church has any reason at all why these two people shouldn't be joined in holy matrimony, please speak up now, or forever hold thy peace." The crowd sat silently as they waited almost impatiently for the pastor to continue. "Very well then. Marriage is a sacred word, one that you two have promised to never slander for the love you two have for each other is strong. May that love guide you through lifes adventures. Now, do you, Nadia Johansen, take this man, Hap Anderson, to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love and care for him for better and for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer until death do you both part?"

"I do."

"Do you, Hap Anderson, take this woman, Nadia Johansen, to be your lawfully wedded wife. Do you promise to love and care for her for better and for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, until death do you both part."

"I do."

"The rings please." Avriana then carefully handed the rings to the pastor. "Thank you dear. Nadia, please repeat after me. With this ring, I promise to love you, cherish you, honor you and be faithful to you until death do we part. And so with this ring, I be wed."

"With this ring, I promise to love you, cherish you, honor you and be faithful to until death do we part. And so with this ring, I be wed." she repeated as she slipped the ring on his finger.

"Hap, please repeat after me. With this ring, I promise to love you, cherish you, honor you and be faithful to you until death do we part. And so with this ring, I be wed."

"With this ring, I promise to love you, cherish you, honor you, and be faithful to you until death do we part. And so with this ring, I be wed." he repeated as he slipped her ring on her finger.

"Hap, Nadia, these rings symbolize the unity of two lovers. May that unity always be strong until your dying days. And so with the power vested in me by god and the city of Bellforest, I now proudly pronounce you man and wife. Hap, you may kiss your bride." Gently Hap raised Nadias veil and gave her a loving, passionate kiss. The two then turned to face their family and friends as the pastor said "Ladies and Gentleman, I proudly give you the new Mr. and Mrs. Hap Anderson!" The room exploded in applause as the wedding march music began and the procession left the room.

Later that evening at a local banquet hall, the reception for Hap and Nadia turned out to be an all out party in honor of them. Matthieu as always did the djing, and did a great job at that. Hap and Nadias dance to everyone was the best part of the night. Seeing the two so happy and in love even after everything that happened to them and Avriana was the most enjoyable thing to see. You could tell by the way they looked that they were happy to be an actual family.

"Hey Hap, have I ever told you how much I love you?" said Nadia as they sat at the main table.

"No you haven't Mrs.Anderson. How much do you love me?" Nadia just gave him a warm smile and a passionate kiss before saying "That much."

"Hey, I like that." he replied gently. Just then Avriana got in between them. "Hi mom and dad." she giggled.

"Hi sweetie." Nadia laughed as she put Avriana on her lap. "Do you know how happy I am to still have you around?"

"I have a pretty good idea mom." she laughed. "I'm just glad we're all together forever now."

"Yes we are kiddo." said Hap. "You have really become the shining light in our lives."

"Wow Hap, you getting sentimental on us?" asked Nadia.

"Hey, I'm just showing our daughter how much we love her that's all."

"Well you're doing a very good job of it."

"Thank you. Now, how about we go join everyone else on the dance floor?"

"Sounds like a plan to me."

"They look so happy together." said Eureka as she watched the new family on the dance floor.

"Yes the do dear." Renton replied while he hung onto their daughter. "I'm sure they'll be together for a very long time."

"Hey mom, dad, can I go join them?" asked Maurice.

"Why? So you can be with Avriana?"

"DAAAD!!"

"Sorry son. Go ahead. Have fun."

"Thanks dad!" he replied as he left.

"He's more like you everyday hon."

"Yes he is Eureka. I'm really proud of those two for what they've done."

"You mean saving the earth?"

"Yeah. Who knew those two had it in them."

"Well they did, just like me and you."

"Yeah, just like us."

"So, what's next for you two?" asked Talho as she and Holland danced next to them.

"Well, I took a doctors position at the Hospital here in town." said Nadia.

"And I'm going into a computer analyst position with the army." said Hap. "I'll be on base with you from here on out."

"Do you guys have a place yet? I know you've been staying at Axels this entire time."

"Yes we do. We just got a large two bedroom apartment just up the street from your place."

"Sounds like you three have everything planned out." said Holland. "Congratulations."

"Thanks Holland." Hap replied. "What are you guys going to do next now that we don't have a ship anymore?"

"Well, we're busy with the twins now and Stephen so that keeps me busy." said Talho.

"And I'm busy on base, so you know where I'm at."

"That's true. I'm glad everyone is sticking around here though. Bellforest truly is home to the GekkoState."

"Yes it is." said Nadia. "Have you and Holland had any luck on getting pregnant yet?"

"No not yet, but we're still trying though." said Talho. "A little bit at a time though. It keeps the pressure off of us."

"That's good. I wish you two the best of luck on it."

"Thanks Nadia. Do you two plan on having kids right away?"

"Probably not. We'll probably wait until we get settled down first and get things going for all of us."

"Good plan you two. When do you move in?"

"In two days. We have furniture being delivered then."

"Want help moving?"

"Does a bird have wings?"

"Ooh, touché. We'll be there then. What's the address?"

"Two thousand forty three North hillside road, apartment number two."

"What time do you want us there?"

"The first truck will be there at ten."

"We'll show up at eleven then." Talho giggled.

"Very funny Talho." Nadia laughed.

"Hey, anytime my sister."

"So Maurice, I enjoyed our little adventure together." said Avriana as they danced. "It was definitely memorable."

"Yes it was. Too bad we lost the ship."

"Yeah but we still have the LFO's plus we're all living here in town, so not all is lost."

"That's true. So, what's next for us?"

"Finish school I guess. Grow up, fall in love, make new friends, you know."

"Uhh…"

"Don't worry Maurice." Avriana giggled. "I may like you but mom and dad say no real dating until I'm thirteen."

"Well then, we have three years to wait until that time."

"And I'll be waiting, you can guarantee it."

"And so will I."

"Too cute." said Anemone as she and Dominic held their sleeping twins. "I think Maurice and Avriana are going to make a cute couple someday."

"I think so too sis." Eureka giggled. "How are the twins doing?"

"Well from what we can tell so far, I think Sara Jo is going to be a little firecracker like her mom and Lisa Marie is going to be the sensible one like me." said Dominic.

"Dominic Sorrel, you best watch yourself." Anemone replied. "And besides, you'll never know when this firecracker wants to go off."

"Is it getting warm in here or is it just me?" Renton chuckled.

"I hear you Renton." Dominic said with a hearty laugh. "But that's why I love her. I can never tell what she's going to do next, which is why I'm always on my toes with her."

"Exact opposite of us. Me and Eureka seem to always know what we're doing next."

"Well, you and Eureka do have somewhat of a Mental connection with each other. We all know that. It was pretty noticeable in that last battle."

"Yeah, true. Anyways, what's next for the NFA?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, we're not really sure. With the destruction of Oratorio and Ageha, I guess nothing really unless the rebels decide to keep at it somehow, even though that's nearly impossible since they have nothing left."

"Well you know that there's always those few out there that can cause trouble for the rest of us."

"Yeah, you're right about that."

"Ok boys, that's enough talk of the military." said Eureka. "We're at a wedding reception now. It's time for fun and celebration."

"You're right dear. Sorry about that." Renton chuckled. "Hey, where are Maeter and Linck?"

"At the buffet table over there getting something to eat."

"Oh, ok. I think I'll join them. Want anything?"

"No, I'm good for now. Thanks dear."

"No problem. Be back in a few."

"Ok."

"Hey Eureka, do you two ever plan on having another baby?" asked Anemone after Renton left.

"Maybe someday, but not right now though. We're happy where we're at right now. But we are thinking of maybe getting a pet for the kids."

"That's nice."

"Hey, that reminds me, how's Gulliver?"

"He's doing great. He absolutely adores the twins. If one of them even cries or doesn't feel good, he's right there with them."

"That must be cute."

"It is. I have some pictures at home of him with the twins. I'll have to show them to you sometime."

"I'd love to see them."

"Hey Eureka, can I have you do me a favor?" asked Nadia.

"Oh, hey Nadia. Sure, what do you want?"

"When we move into our new place on Monday, I want you to watch Avriana for the day until we get to her room. The bedroom set we got for her is a surprise and I don't want her to see it until that night. Can you do that for me?"

"Sure Nadia. Anytime."

"Thanks. I owe you one."

"No you don't Nadia. You've done enough for us, so it's the least I can do for you."

"Alright. I'll drop her off Monday morning then."

"Ok."

"Any specific time?"

"Anytime after eight. Felicity is usually up around seven or seven thirty."

"Ok. See you then. Thanks again!"

"You're welcome!" Eureka replied as Nadia went back to join her husband.

"Ok, it's all set. Eureka will take her for the day."

"Awesome. Avriana will love it."

"Love what dad?" she asked from in behind Hap.

"Oh, nothing." he chuckled. "Need something kiddo?"

"Nope. I just wanted to be with my parents." Hap and Nadia just laughed took their daughter into a gentle hug.

As the evening ended, everyone except the Gekko crew had left the banquet hall. They had all sat in the middle of the dance floor talking about old times and about what the future had in store for all of them. As they talked, they all knew one thing was for sure by the end of that night. They were and would always be the GekkoState. They would always be a family. A family, no matter what the odds are, that would never be beaten.

The End.


End file.
